
Class ^sL?i^ 



COPYRIGHT utr-ossr. 



I 



D E n 1 C A T I O N . 



IN GRATKFUT. RF,:\rE^rBf?ANrE OF MY FATHER .\KD MOTHER 

I'HIS HOOK 

lis AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED. 



PREFACE. 



A preface is generally expected by the reader; with- 
out it, a book may be likeued to a sermon with the 
text omitted. 

The following pages were mostly written during a 
long spell of sickness, not only with the view of wliil- 
ing away the tedium of convalescence, but of contribut- 
ing my mite to a neglected branch of the literature of 
Louisiana. Conscious of their many defects and im- 
perfections, I still hope that the students of our old-time 
institutions will find in them matter for instruciion as 
well as entertainment. 

Under the form of narratives I have, among other 
matters, attempted to illustrate the various phases of 
slaver}' that obtained in our vState before the war of se- 
cession. The subject is an interesting one, not only to 
our Northern brothers, but to the friends of humanity 
at large, and is presented in unprejudiced and truthful 
language. I have stated facts and left the reader to his 
own conclusions. 

A peculiar feature of the work is the descriptive his- 
tory of the city's buildings, monuments and customs 
since its foundation to within a short time before the 
year i860. Under proper headings in the index column 
the reader will readily discover the information he seeks 
upon that branch oi the subject. As far as the com- 
pa.ss of the work has permitted, I have omitted none of 
the salient episodes whicli constitute the charm of this 
unique metropolis of the vSouth. Some of these inci- 
dents are so startling, romantic and improbable that, 



IV prkface;. 

were they not authenticated by undeniable proof, they 
might be taken as the vaporings of an exuberant imag- 
ination. 

I have drawn many of my facts not only from old 
records and disused archives, but from oral recitals and 
traditions. 

Having reached a period of life which has made me, 
in some measure, a connecting link between the present 
and a generation long extinct, I have enjoyed the rare 
opportunity of knowing and hearing some of the men 
who once conspicuously figured upon the shitting .scenes 
of life's drama. To my mother and grandmother, also, 
have I been greatly indebted for many particulars 
related to me in my boyhood's da3^s, of which the> 
were eye-witnesses. To revive and to perpetuate these 
recollections, which may be termed the "Unwritten 
History" of New Orleans, has been my aim and sole 
ambition. 

Should I succeed, even partially, in this endeavor, I 
shall issue, I hope, at no remote time the " Unwritten 
History " of Louisiana, than which no subject can be 
more grand and soul-stirring. 

THE AUTHOR. 
New Orleans, September /, 18^3. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Chapter I. The Lahranche-Hueston Duel i 

Chapter II. I.ouis Philippe Roffignac 14 

Chapter III. General Humbert 28 

Chapter IV. A Tale of Slavery Times 52 

Chapter \'. Odd Characters and Celebrities 63 

Chapter VI. The Voudous 90 

Chapter VII. The Old Parish Prison 102 

Chapter VIII. New Orleans under Denis Prieur . 134 

Chapter IX. The Executu>n of Pauline 167 

Chapter X. Louisiana Planters 177 

Chapter XI. A Strange vStory of the Sea 182 

Chapter XII. Lafayette Square 202 

Chapter XIII. Old Louisiana Days _ 209 

Chapter XIV. Old Louisiana Days 236 

Chapter XV. Old Louisiana Days 265 

Chapter XVI. Old Louisiana Days 294 

Chapter XVII. Old Louisiana Days _ 321 

Index 347 



CHAPTER I. 



THE LABRANCHEHUE5T0N DUEL. 



RECALLING A DRAMA TIC AND FA TAL ENCOUNTER UNDER 
THE OAKS, 



The overwhelming cyclone which had burst forth with 
such fury upon the heads of the Louisiana Whigs, in the 
congressional elections that occurred in the summer of the 
year 1843, was destined to produce a bitterness of feeling 
seldom displayed in previous times; and, as a natural 
result, a series of personal difficulties followed through- 
out the State. The Locofocos, as the Democrats were 
then styled in derision by their opponents, had literally 
swept the State in that memorable campaign, and had 
elected John Slidell, Alcee LaBranche, Gen. Dawson 
and Gen. Bossier over George K. Rogers, ex-Governor 
E. D. White, Judge Elam and Judge Moore, the oppos- 
ing candidates. As was to be expected, the victors were 
exultant, hilarious and boisterous. With the exception 
of the occasional appearance of a roughly drawn cari- 
cature representing a rooster discomfiting a coon, and of 
other harmless pleasantries, their joy and boasting do 
not seem to have exceeded the bounds of decency and 



2 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

good nature. Different, however, was the temper of the 
oppo-site side and of its chafing and impetuous Hotspurs. 

The}' refused to accept the result with anything like 
good grace, particularly the one which involved the de- 
feat of White in the Second Congressional District, ac- 
knowledged to be their stronghold in the State, and 
which, but a short time before, had been carried by the 
Whigs by a majority exceeding two thousand ! The pill 
was too bitter for digestion, and they refused to be com- 
forted. 

Alcee LaBranche, the victor in that contest, the man 
who had so unexpectedly dashed their hopes and hum- 
bled their party, as they conceived, in the eyes of the 
whole nation, became, of course, the centre of attack. 

Brave, intelligent and impulsive; well versed in the 
knowledge of public affairs, acquired in positions to which 
he had frequently been elevated by the popular will, he 
was undoubtedly the type of his people and of the creole 
race. Against him, therefore, were hurled the shafts of 
calumny and detraction, not only in the streets and other 
public places, where politics were usually discussed, but 
eventually in the columns of the public prints. As 
long as his enemies had merely confined their abuse to his 
political life and actions, he, like a sensible man, laughed 
them to scorn ; but, when articles began to appear reflect- 
ing upon his honor, his manhood and his character, he 
did not stop to hesitate. With him, to determine and to 
act were synonymous terms. 

It happened that in the month of August, 1843, in the 
town of Baton Rouge, there appeared in the Gazette an 
article so personal and vindictive that no man with any 
sense of self-respect could possibly overlook its trend and 
object. By many it was deemed entirely uncalled for, 
even if justified by the facts, inasmuch as several months 
had already elap.sed since the election, and the occasion 



THE LABRANCHE-HUItSTON DUKL. 3 

for ail}' such ebullition of temper and passion had long 
passed away. 

The writer of the objectionable publication was Mr. 
Hueston, a gentleman of Northern birth, who, after hav- 
ing edited various papers at divers times at Franklin, 
Mobile and New Orleans, had finally settled down in 
Baton Rouge and taken charge of its leading Whig jour- 
nal. He wa« an enthusiast in the cause of " Harry of 
the West ' ' — a veritable monomaniac in his hero-worship. 

Withal, a man of agreeable manners, engaging pres- 
ence and great popularity. His record was, after his 
death, graphically written by Mr. Wilson, his quondam 
associate in the conduct of the Planters' Banner, in a 
feeling and well tempered article. It represents him as 
a man of a generous but somewhat erratic nature. 

To say that the article was abusive is to use a mild ex- 
pression. It was directed against the whole congressional 
delegation elect, particularly against General Bossier 
and IvaBranche. There is no doubt that if the latter had 
not hastened to chastise Hueston, Bossier would not 
have been slow in resenting the insult hurled at him and 
his people. He was represented in that publication as 
destitute of talent, acquirements or industry. It said 
that the people of the fourth district ought to blush at the 
contrast between him and Judge John Moore; that Gen. 
Bossier could neither read nor write; that he was so ignor- 
ant, that he would find it no easy task even to vote, 
without the aid of a prompter ; and that, with some one 
to pull the wires, any French automaton could do the 
same thing. Indulging in a similar strain, the editor 
went on to say : "We will wager our white hat, which we 
would not lose for one thousand such generals as he, that 
when called on to vote, he will oftener say 'oui' than aye! 
How an intelligent people could have been induced 
even by party considerations to elect a man so perfectly 



4 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

destitute of qualifications for any office as Gen. Bossier in 
preference to Judge Moore is strange, passing strange ! 
But he is a creole " he concludes; "he once killed a 
man, and for that he is now qualified as chivalrous, and 
a good man for Congress. ' ' 

The diatribe against Mr. I^aBranche was still more per- 
sonal and indecent, and the reference to a difficulty in 
which he was once engaged with Col. John R. Grymes 
was well understood by the general public as a reminder 
of a scandal in which the honor of a lady had been seri- 
ously concerned. That part of the publication was, 
therefore, unwarranted, and, as such, cowardly. "By 
a parity of reasoning, Mr. lyaBranche will make a very 
ordinary congressman, for, although a creole, he has 
never killed any one. He is not qualified or 'chival- 
rous,' and it is said that once, when the wrath of John 
R. Gr>'mes was being hotly discharged against him, he 
valiantly took to his heels, and implored shelter behind 
the skirts of several passing ladies." 

A French contemporary, commenting on the above 
effusion, gave vent to his indignation in the following 
terms : 

' ' We confess that never have insults been heaped in a 
more outrageous manner than by this editor upon Mr. L,a- 
Branche and the entire creole population. The repre- 
sentative of the second district is not only attacked in 
his public character, but even his private life is intruded 
upon without decency or scruple, and thrown open to 
the contemptuous gaze of the whole population. ' ' 

In the meantime, Hue^ton had taken a steamer and 
come down to New Orleans. He was received with 
open arms by his enthusiastic admirers and became the 
lion of the hour. He had taken his quarters at the St. 
Charles Hotel, and, mingling in the gaieties of the town, 
seemed to court notoriety. As chance would have it, La- 



THE LABRANCHE-HUESTON DUEL. 5 

Branche happened to be in the city at the time, and 
was about to engage his passage for his plantation 
home, when a friend hurriedly approached him, and 
placed into his hands the scurrilous attack. It was more 
than human nature could endure, and, deferring his de- 
parture to another moment, he at once, accompanied by 
friends, hurried in quest of his traducer. 

This was on the i6th of August, 1843. 

On the evening of the 17th, the following "card" ap- 
peared, explanatory of the rencontre between the parties: 

"TO THE PUBLIC. 

' ' The undersigned have perused with surprise the 
statement given by the Herald this morning by Mr. 
Hueston, editor of the Baton Rouge Gazette, relative to 
the chastisement inflicted upon him by Mr. Alcee L,a- 
Branche, yesterday, for a false and shameful publication 
respecting that gentleman. In the statement of Mr. 
Hueston there is not a single word of truth. He asserts 
that Mr. LaBranche struck him, wdiile he was being held 
by one of the friends who had accompanied him, and that 
when he disengaged himself Mr. LaBranche was hurry- 
ing aw^ay. Such is not the case. The following is a true 
and correct version of the affair, from the beginning to 
the end. 

"Mr. IvaBranche had intended to leave town at 3 
o'clock on Wednesday last, when one of his friends placed 
into his hands the paper containing the article from the 
Baton Rouge Gazette, in which he was so infamousl}' 
abused. Hearing that Mr. Hueston, the editor of that 
paper, was in town, he immediately went in pursuit of 
him, but was unabl-e to come up with him until the 
evening of that day, wdien he found him in the billiard 
saloon of the St. Charles Hotel. 

"The undersigned, perceiving the excited state of Mr. 



6 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

LaBraiiclie's mind, and aware of his great bodily strength , 
accompanied him for no other purpose than to prevent 
him from using too much violence. Mr. L,aBranche en- 
tered the billiard room, some five or six paces in advance 
of one of the undersigned (Mr. Bouligny), while the 
other was still further in the rear. Mr. lyaBranche went 
up to Mr. Hueston and said: 'Are you Mr. Hueston, 
editor of the Baton Rouge Gazette?' Mr. Hueston, hold- 
ing a cue in his hand, answered 'yes,' offering his hand 
to Mr. LaBranche. The latter said : ' I am Mr. L,a- 
Branche,' and instantly struck him a severe blow with 
a hickory stick across the face. Mr. Hueston was stunned 
by the blow, and Mr. L,aBranche repeated the blow sev- 
eral times, when the undersigned interfered, in order, 
as they supposed, to preserve the life of Mr. Hueston, 
who was saved from falling by one of the undersigned 
(Mr. Bouligny), who, in doing so, received a blow on 
the arm. Mr. Hueston was quite insensible for some 
time, during which Mr. lyaBranche remained in the room, 
and was with some difficulty induced to retire by one of 
his friends, who, apprehending that Mr. Hueston was 
dead, wanted Mr. LaBranche to avoid the police. 

"According to this plain, unvarnished statement of 
facts, it is plain that Mr. Hueston's account of the matter 
in this morning's Herald is entirely false — infamously 
false. So far from being held while Mr. lyaBranche 
was striking him, the truth is no one came near him 
until he was senseless under the blows of Mr. lyaBranche; 
and so far was the latter inclined to run away that he 
was with difficulty persuaded by a friend to retire while 
Mr. Hueston was insensible. On the next day, he sent 
two of his friends to Mr. Hvieston to inform him of the 
number of his house and the street in which he lived, 
and to express his willingness to furnish any satisfactio,t} 
that Mr. Hueston might think proper to demand. The 



THE LABRANCHE-HUESTON DUEL. 7 

undersigned conceive themselves bound by a just regard 
to truth and by a sense of their own integrity to contra- 
dict in this formal manner the ba»se falsehoods contained 
in Mr. Hueston's statements, which are as revolting to a 
man of honor as a blow from a cane. 

"gustave bouligny. 

"Arthur Guillotte. 

"Edmond Ganucheau. " 

Appended to the foregoing statement, appeared an 
" addendum " from the pen of a gentleman, who for a 
number of years occupied the position of Recorder of the 
First Municipality, and died lamented and regretted by 
the whole community. It was couched in the following 
terms : 

' ' The undersigned was not present at the commence- 
ment of the beating given to Mr. Hueston by Mr. Alcee 
LaBranche, but came into the room while the former 
was stunned, and Mr. Bouligny supporting his head. 
Fearing that he was killed, the undersigned expressed 
his apprehensions to Mr. IvaBranche, and begged him 
to retire to avoid arrest. After much argument, Mr. La- 
Branche complied with the wishes of the undersigned, 
on condition that the latter would represent him in his 
absence, in case any one should wish to see him. When 
Mr. Hueston was restored to his senses, he called out : 

' Where is the damned rascal ? ' Then the under- 
signed told him Mr. LaBranche was ready to give him 
whatever satisfaction he might demand, and could be 
found whenever he chose to look for him. 

"Joseph Genois." 

On the following day, an editorial appeared in a paper 
friendly to Mr. LaBranche, which was evidently inspired 
by him and left no room for any adjustment or compro- 
mise. Public excitement had naturally reached the 



8 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

acme of fever heat, and gloomy forebodings were express- 
ed on every side. Both of the parties numbered their 
friends by the thousands. They were known to be brave, 
cool and sincere in their convictions. Hence, nothing 
but a bloody, terrible conflict could ensue under 
such conditions. The Whigs were proud of the grit and 
pluck of the doughty champion who had .unexpectedly 
brought himself into prominence by his zeal and impetu- 
ous ardor in their behalf ; while the Democrats, confi- 
ding in the icj^ coolness, indomitable will and just cause 
of their idol, calmly awaited the result. The following 
is an exact reproduction of the article, which appeared in 
the French side of the Louisiana Courier: 

' ' The Tropic, at the request of Mr. Hueston , states 
that he has no disposition to enter into a controversy 
with Mr. lyaBranche. From our knowledge of the latter 
gentleman, we feel very confident that he would consider 
himself humbled were he to thus honor Mr. Hueston, 
and of this he has given proof by resorting to the sum- 
mary way of expressing his indignation at the slander- 
ous publications that called forth such a public castiga- 
tion. Mr. LaBranche has done nothing since to make 
that affair public. He has ever manifested a wish to 
settle it privately with Mr. Hueston. With regard to 
Mr. LaBranche's friends, to whom allusion is made by 
Mr. Hueston, through the columns of the Tropic, they 
are equally reluctant, we know, to enter into any discus- 
sion. Their statement of yesterday was called for by a 
regard for truth, so that the public might be disabused 
of misapprehensions that might possibly be entertained in 
reference to Mr. Hueston's personal account of the affray. 

" Whether Mr. Hueston will or can settle this ' private 
affair ' is a matter for him alone to decide ; but it is 
manifest that if it has at anj' time been obtruded upon 
public attention, the fault lies with that individual him- 



THE LABRANCHE-HUESTON DUEL. 9 

self. In exhibiting so much delicacy and repugnance to 
any public allusion to the occurrence, he is rather incon- 
sistent, inasmuch as he has himself given to it great and 
unnecessary publicity, and has, according to the declar- 
ations of eye witnesses, falsified the truth for that pur- 
pose. Besides this, he made an indecorous, wanton and 
slanderous allusion to ' a private affair ' between two gen- 
tlemen, with which it had nothing to do, and which was 
not a legitimate subject for newspaper remarks, and, in 
fact, raked up a disagreeable past for no other purpose 
apparently than to gratify a malign and unworthy pro- 
pensity." 

After such a terrible arraignment, no other alternative 
was left but a resort to the code. Notes were immedi- 
ately exchanged, and the seconds selected. The grounds 
agreed upon were the " Oaks," near the intersection of 
the Gentilly Road and Elysian Fields. The weapons 
were double-barreled shotguns, loaded with ball, and 
the distance forty yards. The word of command was to 
l;e : ' ' Fire - One - Two - Three - Four - Five, ' ' each com- 
batant to discharge his barrels after the word "Fire," 
and before the word "Five." Gen. John L,. I^ewis and 
Joseph Genois attended LaBranche and Messrs. Richard 
Hagan and Col. W. S. McArdle, one of the editors of the 
Tropic, represented Hueston. 

The appearance of the antagonists was such as might 
be expected, and, until the weapons were put into their 
hands, they were cool, collected and passive. Upon the 
rigid and marble-like features of LaBranche not a pass- 
ing cloud of emotion could be traced, while on the coun- 
tenance of his opponent a spasmodic, muscular twitching 
occasionally betrayed the fires of concentrated rage 
that burned within his bosom. There they stood awhile, 
silently confronting one another, while awaiting the 
signal to proceed to their deadly work. 



lO NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

At the word of command, which was given by Col. Mc- 
Ardle in a slow, impressive manner, both rai.sed their 
guns and discharged their barrels. A second of cruel 
anxiety to the spectators ensued, when an examination 
by the seconds resulted in the announcement that neither 
was hurt. The balls of Hueston had gone astray, while 
of those of L,aBranche one had perforated his ad- 
versary's hat, and the other had grazed the lapel of his 
coat. 

Hueston demanded a second fire, and the guns were 
again loaded. The same formalities were gone through 
again, without any definite result. Hueston had 
missed once more, but the bvillets whizzing in close and 
dangerous proximity to his head attested the not to be 
despised accuracy of his enemy's aim. 

Four shots had been exchanged by each of the con- 
tending parties, and the crowd who were witnessing the 
unusual scene thought that enough had been done to 
vindicate honor and attest their courage. But Hueston 
was obdurate and determined. His Anglo-Saxon na- 
ture was fully aroused. He had come, not to observe a 
vain punctilio, but to seek redress, revenge and satisfac- 
tion, and nothing but blood could secure his desire. Un- 
der the laws governing the duello, LaBranche could not 
refuse under any circumstances his opponent's request 
to continue the combat, subject, as he was, being the 
challenged party, to his orders and demands, and hence 
all parties proceeded to reload for a third time. 

At this stage of the proceedings, the seconds began to 
betray symptons of irritation, and Col. Hagan excitedly 
exclaimed that, if this state of things continued, he would 
urge the shortening of the distance, a right, by the way, 
exclusively belonging to the challenger. The prelimi- 
naries, however, were gone through once more, and 
again were the combatants put face to face. This third 



THE LABRANCHE-HUESTON DUEL. II 

ordeal came very near proving fatal to the gritty Ameri- 
can, for, while his bullets flew wide of the mark, his 
cold-eyed antagonist had inflicted a scalp wound' from 
which streams of blood were freely flowing. It was now 
evident that lyaBranche was aiming not to maim or crip- 
ple, but to kill outright. 

Stanching with his handkerchief the crimson tide, and 
maddened by the stinging pain, Hueston demanded and 
insisted upon a fourth round. To this the now excited 
spectators and some of his own friends strenuously de- 
murred, but nothing could shake his dauntless spirit, 
and, with gleaming eyes, turning to a medical attendant, 
" Feel my pulse ! " he cried out, " and see if it does not 
beat with normal regularity. " It was nearly 6 o' clock 
in the evening, and the duel proceeded. Nothing can 
reproduce or photograph on paper the wild, gruesome 
and painful scene. The shots again rang out against 
that bright summer sky, and the falling form of the un- 
fortunate Hueston proclaimed that death had closed the 
final act of a drama, full of sickening horror and blood- 
curdling interest. 

Tender and loving hands lifted his inanimate body 
from the ground, and gently placed it in a carriage. 
Conveyed to the ' ' Maison de Sante ' ' of Dr. Warren Stone, 
on Canal street, he breathed his last, far from his home 
and idolized wife and children, among sorrowing friends 
and political admirers. The fatal bullet had entered his 
left side, in the direction of the lower rib, and passed out 
at the right side, in a direction nearer to the back. 

His remains were conveyed by boat to his desolate 
home at Baton Rouge, where the}^ were interred with 
pomp and civic honors. His paper was taken charge of 
and conducted in the interest of his widow by J. R. Du- 
frocq, who for many years became so well known at home 
and abroad as the popular Mayor of our present Capital. 



12 NEW ORI.EANS AS IT WAS. 

Thus died a noble, gifted but erratic man ! In looking 
over the files of old papers published in lyouisiana at 
that period, I stumbled, some time ago, upon a copy of 
the SL /l/arj' Banner, which furnishes an interesting ac- 
count of Hueston's life and previous career, and as it 
may prove of interest to the Louisiana reader I close 
this sketch with its republication. As to lyaBranche's 
public record and services, they are too deeply inter- 
woven with the political history of our State to require 
at this time any special mention. 

" We knew poor Hueston well. He lived with us, 
and labored with us in conducting this paper nearly a 
year. He was generous- hearted to a fault, remarkably 
industrious and energetic, but rather eccentric in his 
character, acting frequently on the hasty impulse of the 
moment. He was born in the State of New Jersey, 
where his father, we believe, is now engaged in farming. 
He was a self-made man. He has often mentioned to 
us that he had spent many a day in plowing, and would 
devote his evenings to study. Well advanced in man- 
hood, he became acquainted with Prof. Palfrey, late 
editor of the North American Reviezv to whom he ac- 
knowledged himself indebted for acquiring some knowl- 
edge of the classics. He spent some time in different 
printing offices at the North, as compositor, and left for 
South Carolina He then went to Georgia, and was for 
some time connected with the press in Augusta. About 
the year 1836 he went to Mobile, Ala., and that year, 
or 1837, commenced the publication of a small daih- 
paper called the Examiner. We well remember the 
ability with which it was conducted. About the latter 
end of 1837 he sold out the ExamtJier ioM.r. Ballantyne, 
and sailed for France. He spent nearly two j^ears in 
Paris, in literary pursuits, and visited England, and, in 
the beginning of 1840, returned to New Orleans. In 



THE LABRANCHE-HUESTON DUEL. I3 

March, 1840, we employed him as French compositor 
and assistant editor of the English side of the Banner, 
and onr friends are well aware of the ability which dis- 
tinguished his writings. He remained with us until he 
took charge of the Baton Rouge Gazette. During the 
last six months he was with us he was engaged in the 
study of the law, and would, we have no doubt, have be- 
come a distinguished member of the bar. The industr}- 
with which he pursued his studies was surprising. Poor 
fellow ! Through his great failing, the want of pru- 
dence and forethought, he has been cut down in the 
prime of manhood and the vigor of intellect, leaving a 
wife and young family and a wide circle of friends to 
deplore his untimely end." 



JHAPTKR II. 



LOUIS PHJLIPPE ROFFIQNAC. 



REMINISCENCES OF AN OLDEN TIME MA YOR. 



In the latter part of the year 1846, the subject of this 
sketch died in France under circumstances of a peculiar 
character. He had been suffering for some time from 
some chronic disease, and, while resting in his invalid's 
arm-chair and in the act of loading a pistol, he was sud- 
denly stricken down by an apoplectic attack. Just as 
he was about to fall the pistol was discharged and 
.several small buck shots lodged behind his ear. This 
circumstance gave rise at first to the supposition that he 
had committed suicide, but a medical examination at 
once dispelled the suspicion. 

Count Louis Philippe Joseph de Roffignac's life was 
strewn with eventful and romantic incidents. Born at 
Angouleme, his godfather and godmother were the Duke 
and Duchess of Orleans, whose son, Louis Philippe, subse- 
quently ascended the throne of France as " King of the 
French." At the age of fourteen, he was appointed a 
page in the semi-regal household of the Duchess, and, 
at seventeen, obtaining from Louis XVI a commission 
of lieutenant of artillery, immediately proceeded to 
Spain for service under his father, who was then hold- 



LOUIS PHILIPPE ROFFIGNAC. I5 

ing an important command in the French armj' operat- 
ing against that nation. 

At the age of twenty-four, he was promoted for 
meritorious service and gallantry to a captaincy in the 
Queen's Regiment of Dragoons, upon the field of battle. 
From these active scenes he was transferred to America, 
and found himself in lyouisiana in the year 1800, the 
period at which Spain ceded this country to France, and 
still later when the latter sold the territory to the United 
States. Availing himself of an article of the treaty of 
Paris, which allowed French subjects equal privileges, 
those of naturalization included, as those conferred upon 
actual residents, he became thereby invested with the 
rights of American citizenship. In the course of his 
long sojourn in New Orleans he was employed in vari- 
ous positions of honor and trUvSt. His attachment to the 
country of his adoption was sincere and profound. He 
became a member of the legislature, during ten consecu- 
tive years; a colonel in the Louisiana Legion; then a 
brigadier general (an honor conferred upon him for his 
intelligent and effective co-operation in the defence of 
New Orleans); next, a director of the State Bank of 
Louisiana, and, finally, was several times elected Mayor 
of New Orleans from 1820 to 1828. In the latter year 
he resigned his office to return to his native France, 
where he died at Perigueux, under the circumstances 
above narrated. Such is a brief epitome of his long and 
useful career in the ' " Crescent City. ' ' 

The administration of Rofhgnac as Maj'or, notwith- 
standing the almost insuperable drawbacks which he 
was frequently compelled to encounter, was highly suc- 
cessful, and emerging, as New Orleans then was, from 
a chr3'Salis condition of stagnancy to a new era of ad- 
vancement and progress, he gave to its affairs an impetus 
which to the timid savored of extravagance. Contempo- 



1 6 NEW ORLRANS AS IT WAS. 

rary journals are filled with accounts of the hard work 
done by that honest man. He restored order to the finan- 
ces of the city, always an ungrateful task, particularly 
when the pruning knife of retrenchment is to be applied. 

He attended strictly to the policing and cleanliness of 
our streets. He remodeled the organization of a semi-mil- 
itary police, called ' 'gendarmes, ' ' whose main duty was to 
put out fires, to repress disorder and tumults and to sup- 
press all attempts at insurrection among the slaves. He 
improved our public parks or squares, and encouraged the 
establishment and endowment of institutions of general 
utility, education and charity. Of course, there were 
growlers in those days, as numerous a class now as then, 
prone to oppose all innovations, but their gloomy fore- 
bodings never caused him to falter for a moment, or to 
deviate from the line he had mapped out for his guid- 
ance. 

There was in the city, at that period, a constant in- 
flux of strangers, particularly from the western country, 
who repaired here every year to sell or barter their pro- 
duce and commodities, for which they usually found a 
profitable market. They were in the habit of descending 
the river in barges and flatboats, laden with flour, corn 
and other cereals, besides immense quantities of cured 
meats. But in the wake of these honest farmers and 
traders could always be seen a horde of bandits and 
gamblers, which it was difiicult to extirpate. 

Licensed gambling was then in vogue, and the dens 
of its votaries were kept open at all hours of the day and 
night. From them issued a stream of criminals and ill 
disposed persons, whom it was necessary to constantly 
watch. Incendiary fires were matters of frequent occur- 
rence. More than once was the city in great danger of 
total destruction. The night police were very inefficient. 
They were few in numbers, and the territory which they 




:.U! 



liiMlliilH. 








ORLEANS THEATRE, BUILT IN 1813. 
As per Plan in City Libra- j. 




CHARITY HOSPITAL, 1815. 

Canal Street, betwaen Baronne and Dryadas [Hevia). 

From DesiQn in Citv Librarv, 



LOUIS PHILIPPE ROFFIGNAC. 1 7 

were required to cover was large. The papers of that 
period teem with accounts of assaults, robberies and 
felonies of all kinds committed in the very heart of the 
city, under the very eaves of the old Cabildo or Town- 
House. But to these constant menaces to the peace and 
good order of the community, Roffignac opposed an 
energy and courage characteristic of the man. 

As we have already said, the coterie of croakers and 
grumblers was not wholly extinct during the period of 
his administration. It was said by those who disliked 
him, that he was ver^^ vain, conceited and shallow, ad- 
dicted to giving to himself all the credit due to others. 
As illustrative of this foible, the following anecdote was 
told of him : 

At a time when the Cathedral bell was summoning 
almost every night our drowsy citizens from their 
slumbers to assist in subduing the fiery element, Mr. 
Roffignac received from the Mayor of Mobile information 
that a woman, who had just reached that place, had made 
a declaration implicating certain individuals of New 
Orleans, who designed to fire the town from one end to 
the other. The woman, in her affidavit, had minutely 
specified the names, residences and occupations of the 
suspected parties. Armed with this documentary evi- 
dence, he summoned before him the Captain of his 
Guard as well as the Commissaire de Police, secured the 
services of a number of hacks, stages and coaches, and 
sent them forth to search the city and suburbs. ^ As 
prisoner after prisoner was* brought in and locked up, 
Roflfignac would ascend and descend the stair case of the 
Town-Hall, with the air of a Cicero who had just detect- 
ed a lot of Catalines. Then grasping the arm of some 
gazing admirer, he would shout forth: "I hold them, 
I shall have every one of them this blessed day!" and 
when complimented on his Vidocq-like abilities, he would 



iS NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

reply: "Ah! vio7i ami, you can't imagine the trouble 
these scoundrels have given me. I have not closed my 
eyes for nearly a fortnight. My unceasing vigilance in 
ferreting out this vile conspiracy, etc." 

Whether the story be true or not, I do not pretend to 
say, but one fact is certain — that the arrest of the suspects 
and their subsequent banishment from the city relieved 
our denizens of many apprehensions, and put a check for 
a time to further incendiary attempts. 

The usual punishment for minor offenses and mis- 
demeanors was exposure at the pillory, a custom inherit- 
ed from our ancient colonial laws. The modus operandi 
was as follows : The culprit was taken to the Place d' 
Arnies (Jackson Square now), and made to sit on a low 
platform, directly facing the Cabildo or City Hall, from 
early morning to the setting of the sun. Suspended from 
his neck, and overhanging his breast, a large placard 
was placed, on which, in great big letters, were written 

his name and crime — thus : " My name is ; I am a 

thief" (as the case might be) : "I stole from ; sen- 
tenced days, to exposure at this pillory. " As this 

was, about the most frequented thoroughfare, being in a 
direct line to and from the public markets, multitudes 
habitually gathered around this place of punishment. As 
a general rule, this system of discipline became very ef- 
fective, and it is said that, with very few exceptions, the 
culpfit seldom remained in New Orleans, to avoid being 
hooted at, jeered and, perhaps, re-arrested. This prac- 
tice, as far as whites were concerned, was subsequently 
abolished, but as to the blacks, it remained in operation 
as late as 1847, or thereabouts. 

It was in the first year of Roffignac's administration 



LOUIS PHILIPPE ROFFIGNAC. TQ 

that trees — sj'camores and elms, I believe — were first 
planted on the Place d'Armes, the levee front and Circus, 
better known as Congo Square. This was in 1820. In 
the following year, Mr. Montgomery, a member of the 
City Council, successfully introduced a resolution, order- 
ing the planting of sycamores all around the city, that is 
to say, along Esplanade. Rampart and Canal streets, 
which was done, thus girding the town proper with a 
beautiful avenue of umbrageous trees. The same coun- 
cilman also urged the necessity of substituting rock 
pavement for mud streets. A correspondence to that ef- 
fect with some Northern contractors was thereupon 
opened. Backed by the Mayor's influence and authori- 
ty, a Mr. Scott consented to come to New Orleans, and 
was the first contractor engaged to do the city paving. 
The materials used were cobble stones, covered with sand 
and fine gravel. Square block pavements replaced them 
at a much later period, some thirty years thereafter. 

At about the same time, a fine substantial levee front 
was begun. This work the City Council opposed for 
want of a sufficient appropriation, but Mr. Nicholas 
Girod, Mayor at the time when the battle of New 
Orleans was fought, and whose name fills a wide and 
long page in our city's history, being bent on the con- 
struction of this much needed revetment, swore that he 
would pay the expenses himself, if nobody else would, 
and such w^as the persistence of the plucky Frenchman 
that the levee was built. 

In 1821, the system of lighting the city was first intro- 
duced, and this was done by means of twelve large lamps, 
with reflectors attached. They were hung up within 
the limits of the carre de la ville, from a rope fast- 
ened to high posts placed obliquely across the streets. 
This innovoation was hailed with pride by our pre- 
decessors, particularly by belated pedestrians, whose 



20 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

sole guides at night over flatboat gunwales and slip- 
pety walks were trusty bvill's eye lamps ! As late 
as 1837, this practice of carrying lanterns about the town 
was not uncommon in New Orleans, especially above 
Canal and below Esplanade streets. 

Towards the close of Rofhgnac's administration, an 
event occured which finds an appropriate place in these 
pages. I refer to the destruction by fire of our erstwhile 
neat but modest State House. It was situated on the 
down town side of Toulouse and Old L,evee or Front streets. 
Erected in 1761 under the French colonial regime, two 
years before the cession of lyOuisiana to Spain, it was used 
at the time of the disaster, which I am about to outline, 
as Governor Pierre Derbigny's official residence, and 
within its precincts were held the legislative sessions of 
our early Solons. It was then in a rather dilapidated con- 
dition, sadly needing repairs, and it was a wonder to 
many how the people, in throngs, would venture to go 
up the ricketty old staircase, when anything like an in- 
teresting debate was going on in the two chambers of the 
lyCgislature, sitting in the upper rooms. 

The offices of the various vState authorities were situated 
in the basement. The business of the Executive, through 
his private secretary, was transacted on the lower floor 
and consisted mainly, in addition to the duties of ordinary 
routine, in issuing pass-ports. Adjoining the damp and 
gloomy apartments reserved for the use of subordinate 
employees, was the public librarj', if a verj^ scanty collec- 
tion of books could be so called, rich, however, in rare 
and valuable manuscripts and old historical records. 

It was a quaint, old, historic building, with its broad 
galleries in front, overlooking the river. Nor was its 
little garden wanting, with its parterres of flowers and 
small groves of tropical shrubbery. Truly, indeed, did 
it stand forth as a revered monument of a dramatic past! 



LOUIS PHILIPPE ROFFIGNAC. 21 

Here it was that every act of cession had been acknowl- 
edged, and every "Ordonnance" or " Bando de Gobier- 
no " promulgated, and there it was also that was signed 
the warrant, that, within a few squares of it, consigned to 
an untimely death, upon the banks of the Mississippi 
River, and in front of the Spanish Barracks, the patriot 
I^aFreniere and his brother martj^rs. 

Since the acquisition of Louisiana, this edifice had al- 
ways been used as a State House by the American au- 
thorities. It was looked upon with reverence by the lat- 
ter settlers for the important incidents which it never 
failed to record. Within those walls it was, that in 1806 
Gen. Wilkinson and Governor Claiborne had frequently 
conferred to checkmate the designs of Aaron Burr to es- 
tablish a vast empire from the Alleghanies to the Sierras 
of Mexico, with New Orleans as its glorious and brilliant 
capital. Here it was also that Gen. Jackson concerted 
and executed those high-handed measures — the dispersion 
of the lyCgislature at the point of the bayonet, among 
others — which he claimed to be necessary to defeat the 
machinations of alleged traitors. These and many other 
circumstances of a like interesting character had enshrin- 
ed the venerable pile in the hearts of the people. 

The origin of the fire, whether accidental or designed, 
baffled investigation. The flames blazed forth from the 
lower portion, and rapidly consumed the entire building. 
The conflagration then spread along Old Levee street, 
devouring everything in its path, including the mansion 
of Baron Pontalba, from which point it ranged towards 
the corner of Chartres, when it was finally checked. 
The residence of the Baron stood at the corner of St. 
Peter and the Levee, and was anciently occupied as a 
hostelry by a Mr. Tremoulet. It was ahandsome, orna- 
mented structure, in the old colonial style of architecture, 
with a wide gallery in front, which commanded a view 



22 NE;w ORLIiANvS AS IT WAS. 

of the whole river expanse. It was the resort of our re- 
fined society. Within its antique and arched parlors, 
the daughter of the Spaniard, Almonester, was wont to 
dispense her hospitality with queenly grace, ere tho.se 
troubles arose in her private life, which eventuated in after 
years in so much Parisian gossip and scandalous liti- 
gation. 

The progress of the flames was only arrested by the en- 
tire destruction of this and a few adjoining properties. 
Had it proceeded further the entire row of low-roofed 
buildings, belonging also to the Baron, would have met 
with the same fate, thereby endangering the Moorish 
building, (still existing at the corner of Chartres and vSt. 
Peter,) the City Hall, the Parish Prison or Calaboose, 
(now occupied by the Recorder's Court and Arsenal), 
and most probably all the houses on that square would 
have been razed to the ground. 

The loss of property was estimated at about $150,000, 
and although only five houses were bvirned down, more 
than twenty families lo.st their all. The loss of the State 
in the Government House amounted to about $10,000, ex- 
clusive of a like sum for the Code of Practice, the edition 
of which was almost entirely consumed. Of the new 
Civil Code not more than one hundred volumes in good 
condition were saved. The furniture of the lyCgislative 
Halls and of the different offices was of but little value. 
The City Library, with its historic treasures, was reduc- 
ed to ashes. The loss of Baron Poutalba was fully 
$30. 000. 00. 

Numerous accidents occurred. A negro child was en- 
tirely incinerated; a negro died from the effect of falling 
timbers ; a white man was asphixiated by drinking aqua 
fortis in mistake for wine ; another, dreadfully mangled 
by a tumbling wall, was borne off in a dying condition, 
in addition to other lesser casualties. Among these 



LOUIS PHILIPPE ROFFIGNAC. 23 

may be mentioned the scores of men who, volunteering 
as assistant firemen, were found lying dead — drunk. 

A cotemporary, commenting on this disastrous fire, 
thus reproved the city authorities. I reproduce his ob- 
servations textually : 

"The corporation of New Orleans possesses but few 
fire engines, and two of them could not be worked, being 
out of repair. This is an act of most culpable negligence 
on the part of our authorities. We are daily spending 
enormous sums for the embellishment of our city, yet, so 
improvident are we, that no care is taken to preserve it 
from the most terrible and destroying element. We have 
not one regular fire company in this city, and but three 
or four bad engines; it is not, therefore, surprising, that 
fires are here subdued with so much difficulty. The city 
should immediately purchase two or three first class 
engines, and procure a new supply of buckets, ladders, 
hooks, etc. 

"We understand that an engineer and mechanician of 
this city has offered to build engines on a superior plan, 
for the city, at the reduced price of $700.00 ; he will war- 
rant them to throw more water and further than those 
from Philadelphia and New York. Why does not the 
City Council make a contract with him, in preference to 
sending to the North and paying $4200? It is time that 
the Council should take this subject into serious consid- 
eration, for this city lately is oftener visited by this 
dreadful scourge than New York itself. ' ' 

So well acquainted have we become with new and im- 
proved devices for the strangling of the fiery fiend that 
these recommendations appear comical and strange to us 
now; but, over sixty years ago, hand machines of a most 
primitive construction, with buckets to supply the tanks 
from the walled up gutters, were the only appliances 
known. It was many years thereafter that long leads of 



24 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

hose were adopted, and as these necessitated greater suc- 
tion power, the engines had to be modelled with longer 
and more powerful brakes. The houses in New Orleans 
were generally one story high, those with balconies being 
the exceptions. Hence, hand engines, when properly 
constructed, served every purpose. 

On the day following the fire, the Legislature, which 
had been in session, assembled, on the invitation of 
Mayor Roffignac, in his public parlor, to consult as to the 
selection of a suitable building in which to continue their 
deliberations. It was decided that both branches of the 
Assembly should occupy temporarily Mr. John Davis' 
spacious rooms. This locale, the former site of the old 
Opera House and Orleans Ball-room, is now consecrated 
to pious and religious purposes — an Asylum and a Con- 
vent. 

A joint committee, a few days after, reported that Mr. 
Pierre Derbigny, as President of the board of Regents of 
the Central and Primary schools, had tendered the use of 
that portion of the building in the upper story occupied 
by the Central Department, which offer was gratefully 
accepted. 

This structure, the oldest building now in New Orleans, 
once the Convent of the Ursulines Nuns, and now the 
residence of Archbishop Janssens, was situated on Conde 
street, between Ursulines and Hospital streets. Our old 
inhabitants will remember that that portion of Chartres, 
which extended from Esplanade to St. Peter, was then 
known as Conde street. I remember the building dis- 
tinctly and, recalling my school-boy days, am unable to 
note any difference in its physiognomy, except in such 
changes as have occurred in its immediate surroundings. 

The church, or rather the narrow and elongated 
Chapel, erected in the last century as an annex to the 
Nunnery, still exists, though greatly altered, and is now 



LOUIS PHILIPPE ROFFIGNAC. 25 

used by an Italian congregation. The entrance opened 
on Ursulines street, and over its solitary portal hung a 
marble tablet, commemorative of a Spanish King's liber- 
ality. It extended along that street to within a short 
distance of I^evee street. Tall Gothic windows, with 
panels of stained glass, admitted air from above and 
light from without. Though originally constructed for 
the use of the Convent, the sisters, with the exception of 
the cloistered space, reserved for their devotions, had 
thrown it open to Catholic worshippers, lu this holy 
shrine, the Bishop frequently officiated. 

St. Mary's Church, on Chartres street, ia of modern 
construction, and its site occupies a portion ol the large 
plaj'ground, once attached to the schools. Below it, and 
on the same side of that thoroughfare, were the buildings 
used as Barracks by the United States troops stationed 
at this post. (Hence the name given to Barracks street. ) 
Here were also the headquarters of their commanding 
officers, Col. Zachary Taylor and Major Twiggs, who, 
by the way, signalized themselves at the fire, and receiv- 
ed officially the grateful thanks of the City Council. 

The upper part of the building, dedicated to the Cen- 
tral School, was under the direction of a Mr. S^nti Petri, 
a Spaniard by birth. He was reputed a man of great 
learning. A corps of assistants, supported him. The 
lower portion was divided into junior classes, in the low- 
est of which the writer was not a very apt or ductile 
scholar, if one may judge from the frequency and vim 
with which his ears were puUel. This was a common 
practice among the teachers of those times — the French 
especially — resorted to in order to jog the memory of dul- 
lards. It was here that Mr. Bigot presided, whom some 
may yet remember, with his silver snuffbox in one 
hand, and a dreaded ferule in the other. His wife oc- 
casionally aided him. She was a daughter of the cele- 



26 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

brated Gen. James Wilkinson, and, as Principal of our 
young ladies' High School in after years, achieved great 
distinction. He was withal, a good, kind-hearted man, 
an excellent scholar and an artist of merit. His depart- 
ment, besides rudimentary studies, embraced landscape, 
portrait and linear or architectural drawing. Among 
several of our noted living artists, I remember George 
Coulon, Hortaire Guenard and various others, as young 
and promising scholars. 

It was in the upper story of this massive structure that 
the General Assembly concluded their labors. 

The reader will excuse this digression, but, as illustra- 
tive of the times, it could not well be omitted. 

But, besides the military and administrative talents, 
which Mayor Rolfignac's life discloses, how many are 
aware that as a man of letters he particularly excelled. 
He was in frequent communication with some of the 
leading statesmen of Europe, and maintained an unbrok- 
en correspondence with Lafa3^ette. His attentions to the 
exiled princes, the future King of France included, both 
in this city and Havana, are matters of record. The 
papers, which were found after his tragic death, contain- 
ed curious and precious autographs of the great men of 
that historic period, and it is a matter of note that de 
L,ameth, the Duke de Broglie and Count de Roffignac 
were at one time class-mates at the Chateau of Belleville, 
under the tuition of the Abbe Duruisseau — three men 
who wielded in Europe and America, an influence, more 
or less important on questions affecting individual and 
national freedom. 

Taken all in all. his retirement from ofhce was deemed 
a matter of regret, and on the eve of his departure for his 
beloved old home, he was complimented with a grand 
public banquet. His parting with the members of the 



LOUIS Philippe; roftignac. 27 

City Council, as described by the public prints of the day, 
was affectionate and tender. 

And yet in this year of grace progress and universal 
enlightenment, who mentions the name of Roffignac ex- 
cept at a soda water stand ? He is only known as the 
inventor of a fashionable beverage. Such is fame I 



CHAPTER III. 



GENERAL HUMBERT. 



A DASHING HERO OF TWO CONTrNENTS. 

H/S SPLENDID SERVICES IN FRANCE, MEXICO, IRELAND 

■ AND NEW ORLEANS. 



The trite adage that truth is stranger than fiction is 
strongly exemplified in the simple narrative of the life 
and vicissitudes of the singular man, whose achievements 
in both hemispheres form the ground work of the present 
sketch. Without the adventitious circumstances of 
birth, fortune or education, this hero rose from the hum- 
blest spheres of citizenship to a dazzling position of hon- 
or and dignity; and, but for his inflexible love of liberty 
and of republican institutions, would have soared in 
military preferment to the lofty plane occupied by the 
Murats, Neys and the Soults of the Empire. 

An exile, for opinion's sake, he sought an asylum in 
New Orleans, in whose defence he fought like one of 
those plumed and helmeted knights we read of in an- 
cient Romance. Wherever Freedom called upon his 
doughty arm to strike, whether under the frowning tur- 
rets of Castlebar, or in the mountain recesses of Mexico, 
or along the shores of the blue Rhine, or on the banks 
of the turbid Mississippi; there we hear of his prowess, 
his loyalt}' and his cheerful obedience to cherished prin- 



GENERAL HUMBERT. 29 

ciples. And yet, notwithstanding his just claims to our 
eternal gratitude, he died in our midst, poor, neglected 
and unhonored, and even his place of sepulture is to 
this day forgotten and unknown! vSuch, alas, is too of- 
ten the fate of the patriot and the lover of the human 
race. 

Jean Robert Marie Humbert was born in Rouvray, 
Lorraine, on the 25th of November, 1755. At the time 
of the breaking out of the French Revolution in 1789, 
his condition in life was an humble one, being that of a 
dealer or peddler in rabbit skins; but, endowed with 
great intelligence and undoubted bravery, and favored 
by nature with a stature of colossal mould and a prepo- 
sessing appearance, he plunged headlong into that career 
which was opening at that time to the patriotic spirits of 
his country the avenues that led to glory and wealth. 
His success was phenomenal. From a simple soldier in 
the army of the Rhine and of the West, he rose by grada- 
tions to the position of Major General in 1794, having 
participated in every battle fought during the memorable 
campaigns of Wurmser and the Duke of Brunswick. 
His attack on Landau forms one of the boldest feats of 
arms ever recorded in history. 

It seems that, after suffering several defeats, the army 
of Hoche, the left wing of which Humbert commanded, 
had reached Keiserlauten. The Prussians, anticipating 
the movement, had stolen a march on him three days 
before, and had fortified the position by planting cannon 
at the head of the ravines leading to the plateau. The 
Prussians numbered forty thousand, the French thirty 
thousand combatants. 

The assault began on the left, led by Humbert in per- 
son. Scaling the heights under the protection of a 
ravine, he marched the now maddened ''sans culottes'' in 



30 NEW ORI.EANS AS IT WAS. 

serried columns, without a perceptible waver or break in 
their advancing lines, under the spiriting and soul-stir- 
ring strains of the "Marseillaise" hymn, despite the 
din and rattle of the enemy's musketry and the roar of 
his belching guns. Higher and higher, amidst the deaf- 
ening uproar, rose and soared aloft the inspiriting words 
of the national anthem, until, reaching the edge of the 
coveted plateau, Humbert, waving his sword above his 
head, gave the command to charge, crying out in 
stentorian tones: '' Chargez, mes enfaiits, Landau or 
Death." The cry was taken up and repeated by his 
men, whom now nothing could resist. On they came, 
like an Alpine avalanche. The enemy, aghast and 
dismayed by the coolness, audacity and impetuosity of 
the onslaught, made but a feeble resistance. Landau 
was captured ! 

His strategic movements on the enemy's flanks at 
Froschwiller and Worth decided the victory in favor of 
France and put an end to the campaign by disconcerting 
the manoeuvers of Wurmser, the Austrian, on the lines 
of Wiessenbourg, and, completely routing him at Gers- 
berg, forced the Prussians to retreat to Mayence and the 
Austrians on Gemersheim. 

His success in the pacification of the Vendee, devoted 
to the Royalist faction, is mentioned by historians in laud- 
atory terms, though most of the credit is bestowed on 
Hoche, his ranking officer. These two men were deeply 
attached to one another, and always acted in perfect con- 
cert. What Stonewall Jackson was to Lee, or Sheridan 
to Grant, Humbert was to Hoche — the man of action, of 
surprises and of celerity. 

Thus it was that when, in 1798, the French Directory 
determined, as a retaliatory measure, to attack England 
in her own stronghold, by sending to Ireland an ex- 



GENERAL HUMBERT. 3 I 

peditionaty force to assist the insurgents in their attempts 
at independence, Heche, to whom had been assigned the 
chief command of the enterprise, asked, as a special 
favor, for the appointment of Humbert, as his lieutenant. 
The request, coming from such a source, was readily 
granted, and with it his promotion to the rank of Lieu- 
tenant General. The plan of operation was soon mapped 
out in council. Humbert was to effect a landing with a 
small vanguard, to which, it was expected, large acces- 
sions from the Irish peasantry and their leaders would 
lend strength. Once a lodgment secured, it was further 
agreed that Hoche, with the bulk of the liberating army, 
would, co-operating with a formidable fleet, make a de- 
scent upon the coast, and, uniting with the small force in 
the field, take personal command. From this, will be 
seen the confidence reposed in Humbert's audacity and 
judgment. But the combination, though feasible and 
well matured, signally failed. The period selected was 
an unfortunate one, for, the English government had 
just quelled with fire, sword and confiscation a formida- 
ble insurrection, and the inhabitants, stripped of their 
arms and other means of resistance, were ill prepared to 
renew the perils and incur the risks of another revolt. 

In this condition of things, while the Viceroy was ac- 
tivel}^ engaged in plans for putting the militia into such 
a train that it might be speedily dispatched to any part 
of the Kingdom which expediency might require, the 
intelligence of the disembarkation reached Dublin. 

"Happily" says an English writer, "for the integri- 
ty and safety of the island, perhaps of the British Em- 
pire, the French government at this time was guided by 
men of feeble character, incapable of taking a decided 
part at the momentous crisis. They suffered the period 
when Ireland was in a state of active rebellion to pass 
by without affording any aid to the insurgents ; and now, 



32 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

when it was quelled by the firmness of the government, 
they dispatched an inconsiderable force thither, from 
whose co-operation no important result could possibly 
flow." 

Humbert effected a landing at Killala, on the 22d of 
August. He entered the bay under English colors, and 
the stratagem succeeded so well that two sons of the 
Protestant Bishop of that diocese, who had thrown 
themselves into a fishing smack, were surprised to find 
themselves prisoners of war. 

" Humbert" says the same writer, "was one of those 
revolutionary Generals, who had risen from ignorance 
and poverty to affluence and command ; yet, though he 
could scarcely write his name, he was an excellent 
officer, prompt in his movements and decisive in his 
operations." 

At Killala, he was joined — I will not say re-inforced 
— by a mob of peasants without leaders or organization, 
ready, however, to avenge their country's wrongs at the 
peril of life. The forces of the enemy did not exceed 
fifty men, and they were all Protestants. They fled af- 
ter a vain attempt to oppose the entrance of the French 
advance, leaving two of their party dead and twenty-one 
prisoners, among whom were all their officers. On the 
following day, Humbert forwarded a detachment toward 
Ballina, seven miles distant to the south, defeated tUe 
enemy's picket guards and took possession of the town 
on the night of the 24th, the garrison of which retired 
to Foxford, ten miles further to the south. 

Though the military arrangements of the Viceroy 
were far from being completed, a force more than suffi- 
cient was quickly dispatched to the point of danger. 
On the 25th, Gen. Hutchinson arrived at Castlebar from 
Galway, where he was joined on the following night by 



GENERAL HUMBER'T. 33 

Gen. Lake, the chief commander of the West. Upon 
being advised of this movement, Humbert notwithstand- 
ing the fearful odds against him, did not hesitate to ad- 
vance. His whole force consisted of only 800 men, 
wearied by long marches and want of sleep, and about 
1 ,000 undisciplined and unequipped yeomanry. He had 
no other artillery than two small curricle guns. Opposed 
to him was an army, fresh and vigorous, advantageously 
posted, with a well served train of fourteen cannons. 
The number of this army has been variously estimated 
from 6,000 to 11,000 men. The lowest computation, 
consistent with probability, places the figure to 2,300, 
though it is thought by a writer likely to know the truth 
(Rev. Mr. Gordon), that it exceeded at least 3,000. Be- 
fore this numerical superiority defeat seemed more than 
probable, but Humbert was inclined to test the mettle 
of his troops. He, therefore, directed an attack on the 
enemy's flank with such impetuosity, that a disgraceful 
panic seized the royal troops, who hastily fled in all di- 
rections, leaving their artillery and ammunition behind 
them. It is said that they ran eighty miles in tw^enty- 
seven hours, nor did they stop until they reached Ath- 
lone. Perhaps, indeed, they would not have halted 
there, had they hot been met by the Viceroy in person, 
who was so deeply impressed with the danger attending 
this invasion, that he had left the capital to conduct 
himself the military operations of the campaign. He 
was informed by the fugitives that the French had pur- 
sued the army of Gen. L,ake to Tuani, driven it thence 
and seized that post. Such was the demoralization 
caused by this daring feat of arms, that even at this day 
throughout Ireland this affair is jocularly spoken of as 
the " Castlebar Races." 

From the capital of County Mayo, Humbert moved on 
to Sligo. Shortly afterwards, however, he found him- 



34 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

self, after crossing the Shannon, confronted with an 
overwhelming force under Lord Cornwallis, who had 
recentl}' succeeded Lord Camden, and held the double 
office of lyord lyieutenant and Commander-in-Chief. Af- 
ter several skirmi.shes, for none deserved the names of 
battles, Humbert found himself hemmed in by fifteen 
thousand veterans, and, notwithstanding a desperate re- 
sistance, was compelled to surrender, with the honors of 
war. This event occurred at Ballymuck. After the 
capitulation, his troops were found to consist of 748 
privates and ninety-six officers, thus showing a loss of 
256 men, nearly one-fourth of his original force. 

The English refused to include the revolted peasantry 
within the terms of the surrender. To these quarter was 
denied, and a scene of butchery ensued that appalled the 
civilized world. Fleeing in dismay, fully five hundred 
were slaughtered in cold blood by their relentless pursu- 
ers. Dark and troublous times followed ; and it was dur- 
ing that sad and gory period that a boy of thirteen — one 
of the future illustrations of Louisiana — resolved to leave 
home and country, after casting a long, sad and wistful 
look at the form of his father, a Gospel minister, dangling 
from a gibbet in front of his own church ! That boy was 
Alexander Porter, erstwhile Senator of Louisiana and as- 
sociate Justice of the Supreme Court. 

Thus ended an enterprise, which failed through no 
lack of energy on the part of the man to whom its achieve- 
ment had been confided. As was before said, the small 
force of Humbert was only designed as the advance 
guard of a more extensive expedition, which sailed too 
late to be effective. Reinforcements failed him at the 
proper moment, through adverse and unexpected cir- 
cumstances. Had these reached him in season, the 
power and prestige of England would have received a 
shock, from which she could not have easily recovered. 



GENERAI. HUMBERT. 35 

and mayhap might have transferred the theatre of a 
sanguinary warfare from the continent of Europe to her 
own sea-girt borders. Humbert and army were kindly 
treated by their victors, with whom they at once became 
very popular, and, being admitted to parole, were pris- 
oners but in name. 

As soon as an exchange had been effected, he returned 
to France and was given a command in the army of the 
Danube, where, at the close of 1799, he was seriously 
wounded. Two 3'ears thereafter, he was recalled to 
Paris to advise with Gen. L,eclerc, Napoleon's brother- 
in-law, in regard to the projected expedition against the 
insurgent colony of St. Domingo. This was in 1802. 
Accordingly, an army of 33.000 veterans was assembled 
at Rochefort, and a fleet of eighty sail under Villaret- 
Joyeuse transported the troops to their destination and 
co-operated in the campaign. Three divisions were 
formed, of which one was intrusted to Humbert. On 
their arrival, the countr}' was found to be in full revolt. 
The blacks, under their famous negro leader, Tou.ssaint 
ly'Ouverture, had set up a mongrel government of their 
own, pillaging and firing the plantations of the whites. 
Murder and rapine were the order of the day. Under 
these circumstances, the iron-gauntleted hand of repres- 
sion became inevitable, and the war on both sides was 
carried on with great barbarity. The story of that 
African revolt is a blot upon civilization. Appointed 
Governor of Port au Prince, which he had reduced to sub- 
jection, he ruled his province with a rod of iron. The 
words of Tacitus are here applicable : 

Solitudinem faciunt, pacem vocayit. 

Thence, he hastened to the relief of Leclerc, who was 
being closely besieged at I^e Cap, and aided him to repel 
his assailants and to compel the swarthy chief to acknowl- 



36 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

edge the sovereignty of France. Amid the horrors of 
this internecine strife, an additional misfortune threw 
sombre clouds upon the scene. This was the sudden 
breaking out of the yellow fever scourge, which more 
than decimated the unacclimated Europeans. The hos- 
pitals and camps were soon filled with thousands of the 
plague-stricken victims, many of whom died for want of 
necessary medical treatment. Even the Commander-in- 
Chief was prostrated by the fell disease, and died a victim 
to it in the island of Tortugas. Then chaos reigned 
supreme. The objects of the expedition had signall}' 
failed. Though L'Ouverture was a prisoner himself in 
France, the work of pacification was far from being com- 
plete, and Napoleon found himself compelled to aban- 
don further operations in that direction. An order to 
that effect was, therefore, issued by the home govern- 
ment, and Humbert, availing himself of this permission, 
set sail in advance of his companions in arms, and re- 
turned to Paris, having taken charge of his late General's 
widow, Pauline Bonaparte, now his acknowledged mis- 
tress. 

Napoleon received him coldly. Rumors of his 
"liaison" with Pauline had already reached his ear, 
and caused him great irritation. Besides, Humbert's 
ultra republican principles clashed with the Consul's 
ambitious views, who apprehended in the fearless Jaco- 
bin the possible embodiment of an avenging Nemesis or 
a threatening Brutus. ' 'A decided Republican," says IvC 
Bas, " he was ill received at court, and public rumor ac- 
cused him of being on the best terms with Napoleon's 
sister. ' ' This short and pithy sentence summarizes the 
situation. Be this as it may, his disgrace became public 
and he began to be shunned by the throng of sycophants 
— the Reds of yesterday — who fawned and cringed be- 



GENERAL HUMBERT. 37 

neath the trappings of the Consular throne. But Hum- 
bert had friends, strong and faithful, and their repre- 
sentations induced the relaxation of a severity that seem- 
ed unduly harsh. Napoleon sent for him on several 
occasions, and at each interview strove to convert him 
to his ambitious schemes. He represented to him the 
unstable condition of the country ; the plots and reaction- 
ary intrigues of the foremost men of the nation ; the as- 
pirations of France after the blessings of peace and com- 
mercial amity with her continental neighbors ; and 
finally, the immediate necessity of an iron-mailed hand 
to crush out every trace of anarchy or disloyalty. But 
these arguments failed in their intended effect. The 
United States, he would unhesitatingly reply, had offered 
a model government to the world, and a republic, based 
upon a similar constitution, would be a crowning re- 
ward for the noble and generous blood that had been 
shed by the martyred patriots of France. The inter- 
views, supplemented by alternate threats and promises, 
resulted, as was to be expected, in an open rupture, and, 
as a consequence, he was exiled to Brittany. There, 
smarting under the injustice of his sentence, he gave free 
vent to his feelings, but being apprised in time that he 
was to be arrested and tried for seditious language and 
practices, he hurriedly made his escape and proceeded 
direct to New Orleans, about the time of its purchase by 
the United States. 

There can be no doubt that had Humbert, at this peri- 
od of his life, consented to forego his cherished convic- 
tions, and listened to the syren song of wordly grandeur, 
the star of fortune would have led him to dazzling 
heights. When we recall the career of such ' ' parvenus 
as Murat and Beruadotte, one wearing the proud crown 
of Naples and the Two Sicilies, the other conquering 



38 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

with his own trusty sword the heritage of the Vasas — 
the kingdom of Sweden — what is there to make one 
deny the possibility that by marrying Pauline, as he 
could have done, he might not have reached a position 
as glorious and as exalted? This result, it must be ad- 
mitted, was within the range of probabilities at the time 
when he was obstinately persisting in following the dic- 
tates of his conscience, and had resolved to cast his lot 
with America and her infant Republic. 

And this fact he well knew. In his frequent and con- 
vivial intercourse with our citizens in after years, he 
loved, in language more expressive than polite, to refer 
to the seductive offers, the corrupt habits, and the scan- 
dalous practices and morals of the Consular Court. From 
those with whom in his post-prandial hours he would 
unbosom himself — "deboutonne," was his favorite ex- 
pression — I learned that his conversation was piquant, 
anecdotic and charming, combining the rough bluntness 
of the soldier with the charming grace of the courtier. 
With the peculiar idiosyncracies of the men of his period 
he was thoroughly ' ' au fait. ' ' Of Sieyes' visionary ideas 
and Utopian system of government he spoke in terms of 
dissent, though of deference and respect. Fouche he 
despised, characterizing him as a trimmer and a " chen- 
apan." Carnot, the organizer of Napoleonic victories, 
was in his eyes the personification of loyalty and politi- 
cal progression. Cambaceres he looked upon as a mass 
of putty, molded and triturated at will, provided he was 
allowed to enjoy his ease. Napoleon he denounced as the 
prince of egotists. The intrigues of the erstwhile cele- 
brated coterie of the rue Clichy were the frequent theme 
of his gibes and sarcasm. He never forgave this notori- 
ous clique the lampoons with which they had once as- 
sailed him on his humble origin and calling, in the times 
of the Directory. It is to be regretted that the reminis- 



GENERAL HUMBERT. 39 

cences of the late Bernard de Marigny, to whom I de- 
lighted to listen in my early manhood, jotted down on 
fugitive and detached leaves by this quaint and amus- 
ing ' ' raconteur ' ' have not been preserved or are now in- 
accessible, as they would at the present time, when the 
lapse of years is throwing dark shadows upon the reced- 
ing views of the past, have thrown floods of light over 
the early days of lyouisiana. 

The actual date of Humbert's arrival in New Orleans, 
notwithstanding diligent research, is now forgotten, but 
it must have been a few years before the period when 
our mothers and grandmothers were quaking in their 
shoes from the apprehended invasion of Aaron Burr's 
men in buckram. His advent here was acclaimed by 
the colony of French birth or descent with delight and 
pride, and his tall form soon became a central and im- 
posing figure. Contemporaries describe him as a man of 
herculean build, of free and easy manners, with decided 
proclivities to dissipation and, later in life, to habitual 
intemperance. He was not quite fifty years of age, with 
hair, originall}- black, profusely sprinkled with streaks 
of gray. His cheeks were ruddy, and his nose as rubi- 
cund as the color of his favorite Burgundy. His habits 
were decidedly democratic, as he always preferred the 
companionship of the " plebs " to that of the mushroom 
adventurers who were wont to flock hither in quest of 
affluence and notoriety. He, therefore, went little into 
society. He was fond of places of amusement and public 
resort. Among his usual haunts was a " cafe" kept by 
a cripple, named Thiot, a St. Domingo refugee, who had 
introduced a new beverage, known as " le petit Gouave," 
of which the General was particularly fond, and to 
which he had become addicted during his sojourn at 
Port au Prince. This establishment was situated on St. 



40 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Philip street, nearly midway between Conde (now Char- 
tres) and Old lyevee, on the right hand side as you go 
towards the woods. There he would usually spend his 
evenings, sipping his moka and "pousse cafe" at a 
friendly game of "piquet" or dominoes. 

Another favorite resort was Turpin's cabaret, at the 
corner of Marigny and the levee, on the site of what has 
since been known as the " Fire Proof" house. It was a 
long, wooden tenement of rough exterior. Opposite to 
it was the Marigny mansion, and from one of its actual 
occupants, a garrulous old gentleman of the " ancien re- 
gime," the little that I know of this primitive period has 
been partly gathered. This cabaret — I might call it a 
groggery — was a house which combined all the features 
of a grocery, a liquor shop and a general caravansary, 
and, among the gay and boisterous blades that patron- 
ized "mine host," Humbert was no laggard. In later 
years, Turpin's corner became the chief rendezvous of 
the Baratarians, as the jolly freebooters who sailed and 
fought under Lafitte were then styled — a motley, fight- 
ing, roystering crew. Here, in revelry, song and drink- 
ing bouts, the Spanish doubloons, that had rewarded 
their audacity and crimes upon the high seas, were 
scattered to the winds, or rather, I may say, were raked 
with avidity within the money drawer ! 

In connection with this hostelry and its patrons, a 
characteristic anecdote is told of Humbert. "Si non e vero 
e ben trovato." It is said that on an occasion, when the 
anniversary of some event connected with the glories of 
the fatherland was about to be commemorated, a grand 
dinner was tendered him by his friends and compatriots. 
Turpin, as a matter of course, was selected as the 
Amphitrion of the feast. The board was spread in the 
spacious dining hall, and to it were invited the French 
convivial spirits of the town. The Baratarians, as you 



GENERAL HUMBERT. 4I 

may infer, were on hand, and took a prominent part in 
the affair. Among the celebrities, were the two brothers 
Lafitte, Jean and Pierre ; the celebrated Beluche, destined 
to become a Commodore in the Bolivian navy ; Domin- 
ique You, whose pompous epitaph adorns a mausoleum 
to day in the old St. Louis cemetery ; Jean Baptiste 
Sauvinet, their banker, whose counting room was in the 
faubourg below ; Huet, the planter at Bayou St. John, 
and " homme d'affaires;" Thiac, the blacksmith, the 
Damon of the Dafittes ; Paturzo, the Genoese, whose 
after-life proved a model of industry and parental affec- 
tion ; Vincent Gambie, surnamed " nez coupe," from 
the partial loss of that facial appendage, a t3'pe of ferocity 
and brutal force ; Jean Ducoing, who so skillfully hand- 
led the solitary mortar we possessed at the battle of New 
Orleans; Constantini, the last survivor of the band, 
whom I saw but one year ago, sitting on his door steps 
and basking in the sun, in a vain endeavor to revive his 
desiccated frame; Laporte, Sauvinet's book-keeper; 
Marc, their notary ; St. Geme. one of Jackson's nios^ 
trusted officers in the repulse of the British at Chalmette, 
and a host of others, who were all, more or less, connect- 
ed with the then mysterious establishment on Grand 
Isle. 

At the appointed hour, Humbert made his appearance 
in full uniform, with the tri-colored scarf of the defunct 
Republic girded around his waist. Applause greeted 
his presence, and, by unanimous request, he was escorted 
to the seat of honor. The work of rejoicing began. 
The luscious viands and succulent hors d'oeuvres vanish- 
ed, and wines of the rarest and raciest vintage — plund- 
ered from some unfortunate vSpanish gallion — followed 
in copious draughts. Then followed the bacchanalian 
song, the ribald jest, the pungent anecdote, adding 
zest to the general revelry, when finally patriotic toasts 



42 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

were announced as the close of the programme. It was 
at this moment, while the entertainment, fast verging 
into a debauch, was reaching the acme of gaiety and 
folly, that an unlucky wight, more enthusiastic than 
his fellows, proposed a sentiment in honor of the Gener- 
al, and preceded the same by a fulsome eulogy of his 
life and services. Humbert listened to him without in- 
terruption to the end, when, rising to his feet, his cheeks 
flushed with wine, anger and shame, slowly responded. 
Every eye turned toward him, and every sound was 
hushed. "Your words", he said, with quivering voice 
"remind me of what I was, and what I am. I must 
not remain here as an associate of outlaws and ' ' forbans. ' ' 
My place is not here." Then turning to Beluche, 
whom. he particularly disliked, he poured forth such a 
scathing denunciation as that worthy had seldom, if 
ever, heard. 

It is impossible to describe the confusion that ensued. 
Words of menace were outspoken and many a dagger 
leaped from its sheath, but a single glance from Lafitte 
sufficed to quell the storm, as Humbert deliberately 
strode away. " II est saoul," (he is drunk) . said one : 
"No," responded a solemn voice: " His conscience 
spoke ! ' ' 

It is needless to say that, yielding on the next morning 
to the force of habit, he had again lapsed into his usual 
course of dissipation, and had resumed his relations with 
the same class of people whom he had the day before so 
bitterly denounced. 

Teaching was his sole occupation; at least, he was 
not known to have any other. One of his boy pupils, 
the late Pierre Seuzeneau, who for a number of years 
graced the Recorder's chair of the Third Municipality, 
and who died before the w^ar while performing Consular 
duties at Matamoros, frequently entertained me with 



GENERAL HUMBERT. 43 

interesting accounts of the man's pecvliarities and sys- 
tem of instruction. His passion was for the science of 
applied mathematics. Self-taught, the soldier-peda- 
gogue, though strict, was not severe, and his school 
was well attended by urchins of whom he was extremely 
fond. He also gave private lessons in the scantily fur- 
nished room which he occupied in the attic of a low 
frame building on Frenchmen street, opposite Wash- 
ington Square. 

In addition to the paltry emoluments derived from his 
profession, a pension from the home government enabled 
him to eke out a modest existence. The collection of this 
stipend, doled out to him every quarter by the French 
Consul, the Chevalier de Touzac, afforded him the 
occasion for a great official ceremony. Attired in his 
old costume of a General of the Republic, the same, 
perhaps, which he had worn on the heights of lyandau 
or at Castlebar, with his faithful sabre resting across his 
arm, he would repair, erect and proud, to the Consular of- 
fice on Ro3'al street to receive the pittance allowed by Bon- 
aparte, as the price of his blood on the fields of Europe. 
Thence, he would gravely walk down the pavement to- 
wards his friend, Thiot, and, after partaking of a glass 
or two of his unique "petit gouave," he would return to 
his humble lodgings and doff his military trappings. On 
those occasions, every one knew his errand, for it was 
then only that he indulged in military display. "Hum- 
bert has got his money to day," people would sa}-; 
"lookout for a protracted bamboche," (spree). And 
such was invariably the case. Hardly had he laid aside 
the insignia of his former rank than he gave himself up to 
every form of enjoj-ment, until his last cent was spent. 

Thus, between his professional labors by day and his 
usual nocturnal debauches, varied at times b}' games of 
cards or dominoes at the Petite Bourse or 1' Hotel de la 



44 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Marine, he spent his uneventful days in New Orleans, 
resigned to the fate which Providence had decreed. 
With Napoleon's accession to the Empire and the appar- 
ent consolidation of his vast projects, all his hopes of an 
early return to France were completely abandoned; and, 
even after the restoration of the Bourbons in 1 8 14-15, 
whenever urged by his friends to avail himself of the 
amnesty offered by L/Ouis XVIII, he would indignant- 
ly spurn the suggestion, preferring, he would say, the 
proud title of an American freeman to that of a subject of 
a King ! 

He was now getting old. Three score years had 
silvered his erstwhile jet black locks, but his spirit was as 
undaunted and his intellect as unclouded as in his palmy 
days. His form, still erect and imposing, towered like 
an aged oak which the storms had failed to bend or 
break. But the measure of his life of usefulness was not 
yet filled, and destiny was preparing for him noble work. 

It was about this period that a dark speck — a distant 
war cloud — began to hover athwart the horizon, portend- 
ing danger and ruin. Every indication seemed to point 
to New Orleans as the objective point at which the 
thunderbolt was to be hurled. The English fleet were 
at our doors. It was the same that had devastated the 
shores of the Chesapeake, and reduced our Capitol to 
ashes. Consternation, the mother of discord, perv^aded 
our councils. Claiborne, usually timid and halting in his 
policy, though imbued with the noblest intentions, was 
at a loss to act with that precision and intelligence which 
the momentous occasion required, hampered in a great 
measure by the race prejudices which the clash between 
the newly emigrated Americans and the old citizens of 
Latin origin frequently engendered. Of the latter there 
was a gallant and formidable array in our midst, But 



GENERAL HUMBERT. 45 

the Spirit of patriotism prevailed. Then, the men of 
action came to the front. To the enlarged ideas of such 
civilians as the Livingstons, the Grymes, and the Dave- 
zacs were added the practical plans of the Roffignacs, the 
St. Gemes and the Humberts, all of whom had seen mili- 
tary service on the tented fields of Europe. Among 
these, Humbert, in the organization of the committee of 
public defense, took a commanding part. His services 
in placing our crude militia upon a war footing were in 
constant demand, while his personal magnetism with the 
native French population aroused their military ardor. 
When Jackson reached New Orleans in December to as- 
sume supreme command, the panic — or rather, the feel- 
ing of disquietude that had at one time prevailed — had 
ceased to exist. Every man was at his post, and though 
few in numbers, when compared with the surging hosts 
about to be massed against them, the spirit of loj-alty 
could not be mistaken. 

The bold Tennessean, with quick and pierciiig eyes, 
soon discerned the eminent qualities of the giant French- 
man, and at once assigned him to duty on his personal 
staff with the rank of Brigadier General. This ap- 
pointment was no sinecure or idle compliment. Of his 
manifold duties, one was the direction of the mounted 
scouts, a special corps of observation that did yeoman 
service in checking the two near approaches of the ene- 
my's advanced pickets. Characteristic anecdotes are 
told of his dash and recklessness w^hile engaged in this 
dangerous duty, his detestation of the English being 
frequently evinced by his mad-cap forays into their 
ranks and challenges to personal combat. He assisted 
in constructing the terrible redoubts so ably defended by 
Dominique You and Beluche on the right of the line, 
and in mounting the siege guns that did such havoc to 
Packeuham's veteran troops in their final assault. A 



46 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

strict di,'K:iplinarian, he never shirked any part of the 
work he imposed on others. Thus it was that, on 
the da)' of the decisive battle, Jackson found himself 
surrounded by as brave, disciplined and enthusiastic a 
little army as was ever led to victory. 

While the battle was raging hot and fast on the plains 
of Chalmette, and the enemy, after the loss of their lead- 
ers, were giving way before the fierce and murderous 
fire of our riflemen and artillerists, the alarming intelli- 
gence reached the camp that our troops, lyouisianians 
and Western men, posted, on the opposite bank of 
the river, had suddenly ran away before the advance 
of the enemy, abandoning their arms, ammunition and 
guns. The turn which this shameful flight had given to 
the situation was very critical, for a road leading to the 
easy capture of New Orleans had thereby been thrown 
wide open. 

Speaking of this unexpected success, achieved by 
British dash and gallantry, an American writer sa^^s : 
"Soldiers there have been, who would have seen in 
Thornton's triumph the means of turning the tide of 
disaster and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat." 

Jackson at once apprehended the danger, and with his 
ready intelligence selected without hesitation the man 
who was to blot out the disgrace. 

' ' This success, ' ' says Roosvelt in his history of the na- 
val war of 1 812, "though a brilliant one and a disgrace 
to the American arms, had no effect on the battle. Jack- 
son at once sent over reinforcements under the famous 
French General Humbert, and preparations were forth- 
with made to retake the lost position." 

There is no gainsaying the fact that the menace to 
our cit3''s safety was a dangerous one. Had Col. Thorn- 
ton, as Stonewall Jackson or Phil. Sheridan would have 



GENERAL HUMBERT. 47 

done under similar circumstances, availed himself of the 
general panic, and hastened his forces a couple of miles 
further up the river, he could easily, by crossing over by 
means of the numerous barge ferries then existing, have 
placed Jackson's ami}- between two fires and thus im- 
periled his line of defence. Fortunately, the event 
proved otherwise. Parton, in his life of Jackson, thus 
• narrates the sequel : 

"General Jackson, meanwhile, was intent upon dis- 
patching his reinforcements. It never for one moment 
occurred to his warlike mind that the British General 
would relinquish so vital an advantage without a desper- 
ate struggle. Organizing promptly a strong body of 
troops, he placed it under the command of Gen. Hum- 
bert, a refugee officer of distinction who had led the 
French revolutionary expedition into Ireland in 1798, 
and was then serving in the line as a volunteer. Hum- 
bert, besides being the only General officer that Jackson 
could spare from his own position, was a soldier of high 
repute and known courage, a martinet in discipline, and 
a man versed in the arts of European warfare. About 
II o'clock, the reinforcements left the camp, with or- 
ders to hasten across the river by the ferry of New Or- 
leans and march down toward the enemy, and after 
effecting a junction with Gen. Morgan's troops, to at- 
tack him, and drive him from the lines. Before noon, 
Humbert was well on his way." 

From conversations I have had with parties who 
formed part of this command, I learned that the march 
was made with unusual celerity and order. In less than 
an hour after their departure, the men had reached the 
city and were hastening to the scene of danger. Here 
they were joined by groups of "home guards," who 
helped to swell the number to an imposing force. When 
they arrived at the spot, now a little village known as 



48 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

" Tunisburg," they met the discomfited and worried 
Creoles and Kentuckians, rallied them into good order 
and restored courage and confidence. The word to ad- 
vance was given, and with fixed bayonets — Humbert's 
favorite weapon — the march was promptly resumed. 
On their approach, Gen. lyambert, the ranking General, 
alarmed at the changed condition of affairs, directed Col. 
Cubbins to abandon the captured works and recross the 
river with his whole command. "The order was not 
obeyed without difficulty," says Parton, "for by this 
time the L,ouisianians, urged by a desire to retrieve the 
fortunes of the day and their own honor, began to 
approach the last red coats in considerable bodies. ' ' 

General Jackson recognized his services, in General 
Orders, to the following effect: 

"Gen. Humbert, who offered his services as a volun- 
teer, has constantly exposed himself to the greatest dan- 
gers with his characteristic bravery. ' ' 

Gen. Jackson's subsequent measures have been the oc- 
casion of much criticism and considerable censure. It 
will be remembered that for some time after the treaty of 
peace had been signed at Ghent, the General refused to 
disband his volunteers under the plea that their term of 
service had not expired, and that they might at any time 
be needed to repel the enemy, who were still hovering 
in the vicinity of our coasts. Among those to whom 
this order was made to apply were a large number of 
French subjects, who, having loyally performed all the 
duties required of them during the times of emergency, 
deemed themselves unjustly treated by their enforced 
subjection to the inconveniences and diseases incident 
to camp life, after every prospect of danger was over. 
Besides, they complained of the sufferings of their fami- 
lies, whose sole supports they were. To these remon- 
strances the old hero turned a deaf ear, and abused them 






m^^ 


E-*^ 









GENERAL HUMBERT. 49 

as secret traitors. It is evident that on this occasion, 
the General's usually equitable judgment had lost its 
balance. Their cause was, therefore, championed by 
the best men of the State, among whom were lyouallier, 
a distinguished member of the lyCgislature, and the 
French Consul, the Chevalier de Touzac, a maimed 
soldier of the American Revolution, who had fought 
under Baron Steuben. This brought about a clash in 
public opinion, and Jackson determined to cut the Gor- 
dian knot by outlawing these parties and their adher- 
ents, imprisoning some and banishing others to Baton 
Rouge. Humbert, firing with indignation at the mani- 
fest injustice done to his countrymen, notwithstanding 
the loving admiration in which he had always held 
the Chief, boldly protested against this usurpation of 
authority, and matters looked as if serious trouble were 
brewing. But, with the official proclamation of the 
ratification of the treaty, calm counsels prevailed and 
the storm subsided. Thus ended an episode, which 
forms one of the most interesting epochs in I^ouisiana's 
history. 

It is to be presumed that, after the events above nar- 
rated, Humbert, amid the congratulations of friends and 
proud of the laurels he had so richly won, must have 
relapsed into his old habits of conviviality and his deep- 
seated affection for ' ' le petit gouave. ' ' And so matters 
drifted for a time, until one day he was induced by 
Mexican emissaries to once more don his armor in de- 
fense of liberty and independence. This was in the 
year 1816. Mexico was then in the throes of a bloody 
revolution, led b}- insurgents against the authority of 
Spain. The achievements of Hidalgo and Morelos are 
too familiar, in connection with the story of their politi- 
cal regeneration and final emancipation fron the rule of 



50 ■ NEW ORI.EANS AS IT WAS. 

their Viceroys, to require here any extended notice. 
The tragic death of the former, the patriot-priest, is kept 
in holy remembrance in every town and hamlet in 
Mexico even to this day, while the memory of Morelos is 
held in equal veneration. 

Determined to attach himself to this band of Patriots 
and to link his fortunes with theirs, Humbert enlisted in 
New Orleans about one thousand men, of all nationali- 
ties, and proceeded to the scene of action. This was the 
first and largest expedition of a filibustering character 
that ever departed from this city. When he reached 
Mexico, he found the condition of things entirely differ- 
ent from what he had been led to expect. Morelos, 
who had succeeded Hidalgo to the supreme command, 
had been captured and shot, and his forces dispersed. 
Balked in his hopes, he determined, however, to ad- 
vance, and was joined by the formidable Indian Chief, 
Toledo, with a number of his dusky warriors. Thus 
reinforced, he fought his way into the very heart of the 
country, and succeeded in reaching El Puente del Rey, 
between Jalapa and Vera Cruz. But the back bone of 
the revolution had been broken before his arrival, and 
although he obtained several partial advantages over the 
vSpanish forces, yielding to the inevitable, he disbanded 
his army and, in the spring of 1817, returned once more 
to his old home in New Orleans. 

All that we know of him after this event is that "he 
taught in a French College" — the "Orleans" presuma- 
bly — until the time of his death, which occurred in 
February, 1823. 

As I had occasion to remark in the initial paragraphs 
of this sketch, nothing is positively known of this great 
man's last days on earth, and even his grave is unknown 
and unmarked. If this humble contribution to the his- 



GENERAL HUMBERT. 5 I 

tory of Louisiana will serve to rescue from oblivion the 
memory of a patriot who loved our native State with 
more than filial devotion, who risked his life in her de- 
fense, and who died with a blessing upon his lips on 
American institutions, my aim, then, shall have been 
more than fulfilled. 



CHAPTER IV. 



A TALE OF SLAVERY TIMES. 



It was on the morning of the loth of April, 1834, that 
from the corner of Royal and Hospital streets, crepitating 
flames were seen to burst forth, threatening the entire 
destruction of a spacious brick mansion that adorned that 
locality. It was an imposing family residence, three 
stories in height, and the resort of the best society of 
New Orleans. Within its walls, European notabilities, 
including the Marquis of Lafaj^ette, had been housed 
and entertained with that munificence, easy grace and 
cheerful hospitality peculiar to a Creole generation, now 
so rapidly disappearing. Its furniture and appoint- 
ments — exquisite and costl}^ gems of Parisian workman- 
ship — were cited as ^^ chefs -cToeuvres'''' in a city where 
objects of ' ' vejdu ' ' and princely elegance were by no 
means rare. (It is a mistake to say that the Orleans 
princes were ever guests in that residence, as their visit 
to our city had occurred long before its construction. 
The Marignys were their hosts. ) 

Around this house were congregated a dense and ex- 
cited throng, apparently feasting their eyes on the 
lambent and circling streams of fire that with forked 
tongues were rapidly enveloping the upper portions of 
the aristocratic abode. Their frowning brows and fierce- 
ly glistening eyes bespoke the terrible passions that 



A TALE OF SLAVERY TIMES. 53 

raged within their breasts, for, that house, according to 
common tradition, was a hot-bed of cruelty and crime, 
and bore upon its frontispiece the curse of God. 

The entire width of Hospital street was literally 
wedged in by a compact, surging tide, overflowing even 
adjacent thoroughfares. The pent-up blaze had burst 
forth from the kitchen above the basement, and from 
thence was rapidly ascending the story occupied by the 
family. The firemen, with their inadequate hand en- 
gines and equipments, were manning their brakes with 
might and main against the devouring element with 
only partial success, and were finally compelled to cut 
their way through the roof. On penetrating into the 
attic, and while ranging through the apartments, their 
blood curdled by the horrid spectacle which struck their 
view — seven slaves, more or less mutilated, slowly per- 
ishing from hunger, deep lacerations and festering 
wounds. In describing this appalling sight, Jerome 
Bayon, the proprietor of the New Orleans " Bee,'' 
wrote : ' ' We saw where the collar and manacles had 
cut their way into their quivering flesh. For several 
months they had been confined in those dismal dun- 
geons, with no other nutriment than a handful of gruel 
and an insufficient quantity of water, suffering the 
tortures of the damned and longingly awaiting death, 
as a relief to their sufferings. We saw Judge Canonge, 
Mr. Montreuil and others, making for some time fruit- 
less efforts to rescue those poor unfortunates, whom the 
infamous woman, Lalaurie, had doomed to certain death 
and hoping that the devouring element might thus obli- 
terate the last traces of her nefarious deeds." 

When ever)' door had been forced open, the victims 
were carried off and escorted by an immense crowd to 
the Mayor's office, where their irons were immediately 
struck off. Among those piteous blacks, was an octo- 



54 Ni';\v ori.e;ans As if was. 

geiiarian whose tottering limbs barely supported his 
emaciated frame. Amoug them, a womau confessed to 
the Ma3'or that she had purposely set fire to the house, 
as the only means of putting an end to her sufferings 
and those of her fellow captives. From nine o'clock in 
the morning until six in the evening, the jail yard was a 
scene of unusual commotion. Two thousand persons, 
at least, convinced themselves during that eventful day 
by ocular inspection of the martyrdom to which those 
poor, degraded people had been subjected, while the 
ravenous appetite with which they devoured the food 
placed before them fully attested their sufferings from 
hunger. None of them, however, died from surfeit, as 
it has been erroneously alleged. Numberless instru- 
ments of torture, not the least noticeable of which were 
iron collars, " carcans," with sharp cutting edges, were 
spread dut upon a long deal table, as evidences of guilt. 
While these prison scenes were being enacted, sup- 
plying aliment to public cviriosity, the excitement 
around the doomed building was increasing in intensity. 
As soon as the fact became generally known that Mrs. 
Lalaurie, with the connivance of the Mayor, had eluded 
arrest and effected her escape to a secure place of con- 
cealment, the howling mob, composed of every class, 
became ungovernable. They demanded justice in no 
uncertain tones, and had the hated woman fallen into 
their hands at that particular moment, it is impossible 
to say what would have been her fate. Actaeon-like, 
she in all probability w^ould have been torn to pieces, 
not by a pack of ravenous hounds, but by men whom 
rage had converted into tigers. During the whole of 
that exciting period, the populace awaited with anxiety, 
but without violence, the action of the authorities. It 
was the lull that precedes the coming storm. It was 
said that Etit-u le Mazureau, the Attorney General, had 



A TALE 01^-' SLAVKRY TIMES. 55 

expressed his detennination to wreak upon the guilty 
parties the extreme vengeance of the law. But w^ien 
the shadows of night fell upon the city, and it was as- 
certained beyond a doubt that no steps in that direction 
had been taken and that powerful influences were at 
work to shield the culprits, their fury then knew no 
bounds and assumed at once an active form. At eight 
o'clock that night, the multitude having swollen to im- 
mense dimensions, a systematic attack, upon the build- 
ing was organized and begun. Their first act was the 
demolition of one of her carriages, which happened to 
be standing in front of Hospital street, and the same, it 
was said, that had borne her away. The sidewalk was 
literally strewn with its "debris." Next came the on- 
slaught on the main entrance on Royal street, the por- 
tals of which had been previously barred and fastened 
and seemed to bid defiance to the shower of stones and 
rocks hurled against it. Abandoning this attempt, they 
obtained axes and battered down the window shutters, 
through which a wild horde of humanity poured in. No 
earthly power at that moment could have restrained the 
phrenzy of the mob— people resolved on exercising their 
reserved rights. Their work was no child's play. 
Everything was demolished; nothing respected. An- 
tique and rare furniture, valued at more than ten thous- 
and dollars, was mercilessly shivered to atoms. The 
cellars were emptied of their precious contents, and 
wines of choicest vintage flowed in copious streams, 
even into the gutters. Gilt panels, carved wainscots, 
floorings, carpets, oil paintings, objects of statuary, 
exquisite moldings, staircases with their mahogany ban- 
isters and even the iron balconies were detached from 
-heii fastenings and hurled upon the pavements. As 
:rash succeeded crash, yells of delight rent the air. 
When Royal and Hospital streets became obstructed 



56 NKW ORLKANS AS IT WAS. 

with the accuiiuilating wrecks, the latter were heaped 
together in monticules and set on fire, which, together 
with the glare of the blazing torches, offered a 
sad and weird-like appearance. This first outburst of 
popular retribution, notwithstanding the efforts of our lo- 
cal magistrates, continued not only during the entire 
night — '' noche triste'' — but long after sunrise on the fol- 
lowing morning. Then came a calm, a deceitful calm. 
The fire had only partially destroyed the building, and 
to obliterate the last vestiges of this infamous haunt be- 
came now the object of the rabble. The work of 
demolition lasted four days, and only the charred parti- 
tion walls remained standing, as a solemn memorial of a 
people's anger. Tacitus says: '' Solitudinem facm?it, 
pacem vacant.'' In the instant case, the work of destruc- 
tion only ceased when there was nothing more to de- 
stroy. The stor>' that human bones, and among others 
those of a child who had committed self-destruction to 
escape the merciless lash, had been found in a well, is 
not correct, for the papers of the day report that, acting 
under that belief, the mob had made diligent search, 
even to the extent of excavating the whole yard, and 
had found nothing. When, on the subsidence of this 
unwonted spirit of effervescence, reason had had time to 
resume her sway, the local troops, with U. S. Regulars 
to support them, were called out, headed by Sheriff 
John Holland, who proceeded to the scene of disturb- 
ance and read the ' ' riot act ' ' to the crowd of curiosity 
mongers who were loitering in the neighborhood. 
Slowly and peaceably the people dispersed. Their 
anger was allayed and their verdict carried into effect. 
They now determined to wait and see what the consti- 
tuted officers would do in furtherance of public justice. 

In the meantime, thousands had been repairing to the 
police station to witness the condition of the slaves, and 



A TALK OF SLAVP:rY TIMES. 57 

as the sickening sight only excited and increased their 
resentment, our denizens were not slow in expressing 
their contempt at the apath}' and inaction of their muni- 
cipal worthies. Judge Canonge, a man of strict integri- 
ty, and sound judgment, had not escaped the insults of 
the enraged populace on the night of the first attack, and 
while in the act of expostulating with them upon the 
impropriety of their course several pistols had been 
leveled at his head. Much, therefore, was yet to be 
feared from the general discontent, as it was reported 
that bodies of men had banded together for the purpose 
of looting several residences, where similar barbarities 
were said to have been commonly practiced. In fact, 
this report proved no idle rumor, for a gentleman's 
house in close proximity to Mrs. lyalavirie's was partial- 
ly sacked, for which act the city subsequently was 
mulcted in damages. 

To repeat what I have previously mentioned, nearly 
the entire edifice was demolished, the bare walls only 
standing to indicate the spot where the God accursed 
habitation had stood — walls upon which had been 
placarded inscriptions in different languages, conveying 
anathemas in words more forcible than elegant. The 
loss of property was estimated at nearly forty-thousand 
dollars. Says a contemporary: 

"This is the first act of the kind that our people have 
ever engaged in, and although the provocation pleads 
much in favor of the excesses committed, yet we dread 
the consequences of the precedent. To say the least, it 
may be excused, but can't be justified. Summary pun- 
ishment, the result of popular excitement in a govern- 
ment of laws, can never admit of justification, let the cir- 
cumstances be ever so aggravated. ' ' 

At last the wheels of justice were set in motion and 
Judge Canonge proceeded to the office of Gallien Preval, 



58 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

a justice of the peace, and furnished under oath the fol- 
lowing information. The facts therein stated may. 
therefore, be relied upon as strictly true, and furnish 
data of a reliable character, of which some future his- 
torian of Louisiana may avail himself. 

"Deponent (J. F. Canonge) declares that on the loth 
inst. a fire having broken out at the residence of Mrs. La- 
laurie, he repaired thither, as a citizen, to afford assi.st- 
ance. When he reached the place, he was informed that 
a number of manacled slaves were in the building and li- 
able to perish in the flames. At first he felt disinclined to 
speak to Mr. I^alaurie on the subject and contented him- 
self with imparting the fact only to several friends of the 
family. But when he became aware that this act of bar- 
barity was becoming a subject of general comment, he 
made up his mind to speak himself to Mr. and Mrs. La- 
laurie, who flatly answered that the charge was a base cal- 
umny. Thereupon, deponent asked the aid of the by- 
standers to make a thorough search and ascertain with 
certainty the truth or falsity of the rumor. As Messrs. 
Montreuil and Fernandez happened to be near him, he re- 
quested those gentlemen to climb to the garret and see for 
themselves, adding, that having attempted to do so him- 
self, he had been almost blinded and smothered by the 
smoke. These gentlemen returned after a while and re- 
ported that they had looked around diligently and had 
failed to discover anything. A few moments after, some 
one, whom he thinks to be Mr. Felix Lefebvre, came to 
inform him that, having broken a pane of glass in a 
window of one of the rooms, he had perceived some slaves 
and could show the place. Deponent hurried on, in 
company with several others. Having found the door 
locked, he caused it to be forced open and entered with 
the citizens who had followed him. He found two negro 
women, whom he ordered to be taken out of the room. 



A TALE OF SLAVERY TIMES. 59 

Then some one cried out that there were others in the 
kitchen. He went there, but found no one. One of the 
above negresses was wearing an iron collar, extremely 
wide and heavy, besides weighty chains attached to her 
feet. She walked only with the greatest difficulty; the 
other, he had no time to see, as she was standing behind 
some one whom he believes to be Mr. Guillotte. This lat- 
ter person told him he could point out a place where an- 
other one could be found. Together they went into an- 
other apartment, at the moment when some one was rais- 
ing a mosquito bar. Stretched out upon a bed, he perceiv- 
ed an old negro woman who had received a very deep 
wound on the head. She seemed too weak to be able to 
walk. Deponent begged the bystanders to lift her up with 
her mattress and to carry her in that position to the May- 
or's office, whither the other women had been already con- 
veyed. At the time that he asked Mr. Lalaurie if it were 
true that he had some slaves in his garret, the latter replied 
in an insolent manner that som.e people had better stay at 
home rather than come to others' houses to dictate laws 
and meddle with other people's business." 

In support of the above statement, which is merely 
the recital of the discoveries made by the Judge person- 
ally and does not purport to include the result of the 
investigations of others, the names of Messrs. Gottschalk 
and Fouche were appended as witnesses. 

What was the final issue of the affair? the reader will 
naturally ask. Nothing, absolutely nothing. From the 
loth to the 15th of April, the day on which the riot was 
finaly quelled by the intervention of the Sheriff, the in- 
activity of the government officials had been glaring. 
The criminals, wife and husband, had been deftly 
smuggled through the unsuspecting throng, driven up 
Chartres street in a close carriage which I saw speeding at 
a furious gait and, after remaining in concealment some 



6o NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

time hurriedh' departed for New York. From that 
point they had continued their flight to Paris, which 
they made their permanent residence. There I shall 
not follow them, nor relate the effects of the ban under 
which refined society placed them, nor of the hissing and 
hooting with which the ' ' parterre ' ' assailed her once 
at the theatre when their misdeeds became known. 
The woman, it was currently reported in New Orleans 
circles, finding every door closed against her, had sub- 
.sequently adopted a strictly pious life and, spending her 
time in works of practical charity, was fast relieving 
her character from the odium that attached to it. A 
characteristic trait in this singular woman's historj'- is, I 
am positively assured by persons who lived in her inti- 
macy, that, at the very time when she was engaged in 
those atrocious acts, her religious duties, in external 
forms at least, were never neglected and her purse was 
ever open to the hungry, the afflicted and the sick, 
lyike Doctor Jekyl's, her nature was duplex, her heart 
at one time softening to excess at the sight of human 
suffering, while at another it turned obdurate and hard 
as adamant. In manners, language and ideas, she was 
refined — a thorough society woman. Her reunions were 
recherche affairs, and during the lifetime of her former 
husband, Mr. Jean Blanque, who figures so conspicuous- 
I3- in lyouisiana's legislative history, and whose impor- 
tant services to the State during a long series of years 
should be gratefully remembered, her home was the re- 
sort of every dignitary in the infancj' of our state. There 
the politicians of the period met on neutral ground, es- 
chewing for the nonce their petty jealousies, cabals and 
intrigues, to join in scenes of enjoyment and refinement; 
among whom I maj^ cite Claiborne, the Governor; Wil- 
kinson, the military commander ; Trudeau, the Sur\'eyor 
General; Bosque, Marigny, Destrehau, Sauve, Derbigny, 



A TALE OF SLAVERY TIMES. 6r 

Macarty, de la Ronde, Villere and others, all represent- 
atives of the " ancieu regime;" Daniel Clarke, our first 
delegate to Congress ; Judge Hall, Gravier, Girod, Milne 
and McDonough, destined to become millionaires, and 
hundreds of others whose names now escape my 
memory. 

But "revenons a nos moutons. " There is a class of 
females, few in numbers it is true, the idiosyncrasies of 
whose natures are at times so strange and illogical as to 
defy the test of close analyzation, and to that class Mrs. 
Lalaurie, with her sudden contrasts of levity and stern- 
ness, melting love and ferocity, formed no exception. 
Whence proceeded this morbid spirit of cruelty? we ask 
ourselves. Was it a general detestation of the African 
race? No, for, of her large retinue of familiar servants, 
many were devotedly attached to her, and the affection 
seems to have been as warmly returned. All the theo- 
ries, therefore, that have been built upon this particular 
case, from which deductions have been drawn ascribing 
exclusively the wrongs which I have just narrated to the 
baneful and pernicious influence of the institution of 
slavery, as some writers will have it, rest upon no better 
foundation than mere speculation. Slavery was a .social 
device, replete, it is true, with inherent defects, but by 
no means conducive to crime. The system was patri- 
archal in its character, not essentially tyrannical. The 
master was not unlike the ' ' pater familias ' ' of the Roman 
Commonwealth, but more restricted in power and domin- 
ion. Hence, it is more rational to suppose, and such is 
the belief of mayy, that looking into the nature or " in- 
doles," as the Latins had it, of the woman from its dif- 
ferent points of view, she was undoubtedly insane upon 
one peculiar subject — a morbid, insatiate thirst for re- 
venge on those who had incurred her enmity. Our 
lunatic asylums, it is said, are filled with similar cases, 
all traceable to similar causes. 



62 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Upon the site of the old building, a fine structure, en- 
tirely new, was erected, noticeable in its design and archi- 
tectural proportions. A belvedere was added to it. It 
has been named by some the ' ' Haunted House. ' ' There 
is no reason for the appellation, and if several of its oc- 
cupants, with whom I have often conversed, are to be 
believed, there is nothing therein to haunt its inhal^itants 
save ghastly memories of a by-gone generation. No spir- 
its wander through its wide halls and open corridors, but 
in lieu thereof there rests a curse — a malediction — that 
follows every one who has ever attempted to make it a 
permanent habitation. As a school house for young la- 
dies; as a private boarding house; as a private residence; 
as a factor}^; as a commercial house and p^ace of traffic, 
all these have been tried, but every venture has proved a. 
ruinous failure. A year or two ago, it was the receptacle 
of the scum of Sicilian immigrants, and the fumes of 
the malodorous filth which emanated from its interior 
proclaimed it what it really is, 

A HOUSE ACCURSED. 



CHAPTER V. 



ODD CHARACTERS AND CELEBRITIES. 



THE CHEVALIER. 



Toward the close of the last, and during the first de- 
cade of the present century, New Orleans society present- 
ed, like the hues of a kaleidoscope, varied and scintilla- 
ting aspects. The bloody Revolution, which had been in- 
augurated by the taking of the Bastille and the excesses 
of the Jacobinical government which resulted therefrom, 
had produced in France an upheaval so terrible as to 
throw upon our shores a large number of political refu- 
gees. Many of these belonged to the old ' ' noblesse . ' ' 
At a later period, on the accession of Napoleon to the 
Imperial throne, a large number of the dissatisfied and 
dangerous opponents of the new regime were compelled 
also to seek an asylum in our midst, preferring exile to 
persecution. Among the latter may be cited Gen. Hum- 
bert and Jean Victor Moreau, the hero of Hohenlinden 
and the hated rival of Bonaparte. 

It was some time in 1795 that an hnigre of the an- 
cien regime, who, for convenience sake, I shall call the 
"Chevalier," made his appearance in our city. His in- 
tense hatred to everything savoring of social equality 
and his attachment to the flag of the " fleur de lys," un- 



64 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

der which his ancestors had carved for themselves name, 
fame and estate, had compelled him under his oath of 
fealty to his liege and sovereign, to follow the royal 
princes into foreign countries. After sojourning a shoi"t 
time in London, and eking out in that capital a meagre 
subsistance by teaching French to the young scions of 
its aristocracy, he had resolved to seek among our peo- 
ple a home, until such a time as the fortunes of war 
should restore his idolized France to her lawful sover- 
eign. 

He was a quaint, odd-looking and singular old gen- 
tleman — the type of a gentleman, however. He held in 
holy horror the popular innovations of the sa>is culottes, 
and reverently adhered to his powdered wig and queue, 
his knee breeches, silken stockings, silver buckles and 
frizzled shirt front and cuffs. He was kindly received 
by Baron Carondelet, and the residents greeted him with 
a hearty welcome, deeming him a valuable accession to 
the colony. 

Although singular in manner, the worthy man was 
an admirable philosopher. Too proud to depend on 
strangers for a living, he was not afraid or ashamed to 
work, and with this object in view he opened a little shop 
on Conde street, near Dumaine, which he pompously 
dubbed a "confectionery." The articles, and the only 
ones, by the way, entitling the establishment to this 
high-sounding name, were a stock of ''pralines,'' red, 
white and browm, bj- which we must understand the 
kernels of pecans, ground nuts or peach stones, inclosed 
in an envelope of burnt sugar. Pralines, the necessary 
adjunct of ginger cakes, " estomacs mulatres," and 
spruce beer, once so common upon the little stands kept 
by colored women, were, as he claimed, his exclusive in- 
vention, and, be the case or not as it may, he became by 
this new industry the most popular man in the little com- 



Odd characters And ceIvEbritiKs. 65 

munity in his "quartier," particularly among bo3-s. 
Besides this attraction, he had a monkey that possessed 
surprising qualities, and a pointer named "Sultan" 
that, like the dog in the Arabian Nights, could detect 
counterfeit money. At least, the honest folks who sup- 
plied the little market in his vicinity with chickens, but- 
ter and country produce thought so, and that was the 
same thing. It was amusing to hear the master of the 
shop calling his two familiars to aid him in picking out 
the good from the bad pica^umes and 'leven penny bits. 
''Allons, Sultan, tell dose good ladie de good monay 
from le conterfait. " Upon which, a seemingly impor- 
tant consultation would ensue between the dog and the 
chattering monkey. Pug would grin and scratch his 
side. Sultan would pretend to smell, and then with 
magisterial gravity would scrape the coin into the draw- 
er. As there were no counterfeit ' ' picayunes ' ' or "bits' ' 
in circulation in those daj^s. Sultan was never known to 
fail. " Madame," would the Chevalier say to the won- 
dering, blowzing country lass, "Sultan is like de Pap; 
he is infallib ; he nevaire make erreur. " No wonder 
that Sultan and Bijou laid the foundation of this excellent 
man's fortune. They attracted crowds of custom, and, 
in two or three years he was enabled to expand his little 
business into a handsomer and more stylish store. 

Later on, another attraction was added to his establish- 
ment — an attraction that at once diverted a portion of 
public admiration from Sultan and the monkey. It was 
a Dutch clock, heavily plated with gold, with two or 
three white and red figures in front. Before striking the 
hour, it played a waltz, whereupon the puppets were 
seen to whirl in the mazes of the dance. It was a decid- 
ed hit. Such music had never before been heard in 
lyouisiana, and the mechanism that produced such pleas- 
ing effects was a puzzle to their wondering eyes. 



66 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

In those clays, every unique piece of furniture or rare 
toy was believed to have formed part of the "spolia opi- 
ma" of the French tornado, and, as a general rule, thej^ 
were set down as the propert}' of the unfortunate Marie 
Antoinette. The rumor, therefore, spread that the 
Chevalier's " horloge " was one of the rare objects of 
vena that had at one time ornamented the boudoir of 
the murdered Queen. Whenever he was asked how much 
the supposed relic had cost him, or by what means he had 
become posses.sed of it, he would evade the questions with 
admirable dexterity. "Ah, mon ami,'' he would say 
mournfully, " ze Franch Revolution, it produce terrib 
effects. It was orand sacrifice. It is wort fifteen hond- 
red Franch ginn}'." That clock, and the dog, and the 
monkey became the foundation of a fortune of fifteen 
thousand dollars from a beginning of a few pounds of 
sugar and a peck of pecans. 

Such was the Chevalier in his niagasin — a not inapt 
illustration of the French character of that period, 
adapting itself to every situation and exigency in life. 

This pen picture of the Chevalier in his store bears no 
resemblance to that of the Chevalier after business hours. 
Then he would suddenly become once more the courtly 
and elegant man of the world. Society sought him and 
made him a favorite within its charmed circle, for the 
seller oi pralines became transformed into a roue of the old 
court of Versailles. His conversational powers were brill- 
iant and entertaining, and in narrating some of the hor- 
rid scenes he had witnessed during the Reign of Terror; 
he would hold his hearers for hours spell-bound by his 
manner and fervid declamation. Some of his bon mots 
and anecdotes, though savoring of that freedom which 
was the peculiar feature of the epoch, were full of 
piquancy and humor. 

One of the princely habitations of New Orleans, in 



ODD CHARACTERS AND CELEBRITIES. 67 

which he always found a cordial welcome, was the man- 
sion of Marigny, one of the magnates of the colony. An 
officer during the period of the French occupation of 
Louisiana, he had occupied important positions both in 
the civil and military service of the country. Sprung 
from a doughty, proud and noble race, the Marigny s, 
from the famous d'Enguerrand, the prime, minister and 
coadjutor of a King, and whose deeds and mournful 
death upon a gibbet fill many a page in medieval his- 
tory, down to that branch, which settled and swayed in 
Canada, and from whom those of Louisiana are descend- 
ed, were always noted tor their chivalry in the field, 
and hospitality in their halls. 

Thus it was that when, in 1798, Louis Philippe, then 
Duke of Orleans, accompanied by his brothers, the 
Duke of Montpensier and the Count de Baujolais, visit- 
ed our city, the Marigny mansion became their home. 
Exiles, and wayfarers in necessitous circumstances, they 
were generously entertained, their wants supplied and 
their depleted purses well filled. Louis Philippe never 
forgot. those acts of kindness, for, in after years, when 
an unexpected turn in the wheel of fortune placed him 
in power, he sent for Bernard, the son of his benefactor, 
entertained him with royal munificence in theTuileries, 
and appointed his son, Mandeville, after he had com- 
pleted his studies at St. Cyr, a lieutenant of cavalry. 
Had the latter continued in the service, it is impossible 
to say what high honors he might not have reached, 
with such a protector at his back, but love and yearning 
for his old Louisiana home compelled him to throw up 
his commission. 

But I am digressing. 

As soon as it became known in society circles that the 
Orleans princes had accepted the hospitality of the 
Marigny family, the Chevalier's ordinary habits under- 



68 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

went a manifest chanj^e. He became taciturn, restless 
and morose. The Marigny building knew him no 
more. All the places of entertainment or amusement to 
which the Duke was usually invited were studiously 
shunned. His very nature seems to have suffered a 
complete transformation. 

One morning, Marigny called at the Chevalier's store. 
"What has become of j'ou, Chevalier, since the last ten 
days? We see you no more. You have forsaken your 
old friends. Come, come, cheer up, and spend this 
evening with us. Moreover, the Duke is anxious to 
know you, and, I am sure, you will be pleased with 
his acquaintance." At the mention of the Duke's name, 
the Chevalier cast upon his friend a look full of 
reproach. " What you ask is impossible. You forget, 
Pierre, that his father was one of my King's mur- 
derers. They are all dastards to their race and rec- 
reants to their God. Mark my word ! These Orleans 
fellows will betray the Bourbon branch. Ah ! moi 
ami, they are all vipers of the same brood." Thus 
speaking, the Chevalier gravely shook his head. It 
seemed as if the spirit of divination had entered his 
soul and laid bare to his mental view that policy of 
state-craft and duplicity which eventuated in the utter 
annihilation of the elder dynasty. Firm in his resolve, 
he continued to avoid the distinguished exiles, and not 
until after their departure for Havana did he emerge 
from his enforced retreat and resume his habitual course 
of life. 

Toward the latter part of the year 1814, tidings were 
received in New Orleans of the successful muzzling of 
that dreaded lion, whose ravages had spread terror 
through two continents, and of his captivity in the isl- 
and of Elba. To the Chevalier this was gladsome news. 
It meant not onlj- the return to the throne of France of 



ODD CHARACTERS AND CELEBRITIES. 69 

her legitimate rulers, but also the restoration, as he sup- 
posed, of those wide, ancestral acres which the hand of 
spoliation had clutched. Whereupon, hastily convert- 
ing into money his valuable effects, he set sail on a bleak 
December morning for Havre, amid the deep regrets of 
those who had learned to appreciate his kind heart, his 
fidelity to duty, and his fealty to King. 

LAKANAL. 

Several years after the departure of the Chevalier 
toward his France cherie, there came to Louisiana from 
the same shores a personage whose name had acquired 
extensive celebrity in Europe, and whose political 
character stood in striking opposition to the reverential 
nature of our friend, the Chevalier. That man was 
Joseph Lakanal, the Regicide. His life had been a 
series of startling contrasts. A man of science, an 
apostate priest, an agitator in Jacobin clubs, a stalwart 
in socialistic ideas, he had, by turns, exhibited talents 
of an exalted order. 

Lakanal was in holy orders at the time when the 
flames of the French Revolution first burst forth. 
Burning with patriotic ardor, he left the church and was 
elected to a seat in the Convention, in which body he 
became one of the most enterprising managers of that 
faction which, by its energetic measures, prepared the 
triumphs of the Republican armies. On the trial of 
Louis XVI, he voted for the death of that monarch, as 
a matter of public necessity. He organized the institute 
andthe military college, which, as ' V ecole Polytechniquc, 
became so famous and useful under the Imperial gov- 
ernment. His influence, invariably exercised in favor of 
men of letters, saved Bernardin de St. Pierre, the author 
oi Paul et Virginie, and many other distinguished men 
from the rage of the Revolutionary Committee. He 
was a member of the body of the " Five Hundred." 



JO NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

On the return of the Bourbons, lyakanal's name, to- 
gether with that of Carnot, Sieyes, Martin and Lucien 
Bonaparte, was struck from the rolls of membership of 
the Institute. During his long exile in the United 
States, I^akanal resided a good part of the time on the 
Spring Hill road, near Mobile, where, it is said, he cul- 
tivated a small garden and raised vegetables for the 
market. Previous to that, however, he had been ap- 
pointed President of the College d' Orleans on the 
recommendation of Edward Livingston, but, notwith- 
standing his transcendent acquirements, both as a scholar 
and a teacher, he resigned his position soon after, as it 
became evident that his plans were not in accord 
with those of the Regency. Very few of his scholars 
are still living. 

A revolution, which again drove away the elder 
branch of the Bourbons from Paris, put an end to the 
banishment of the aged patriot by the elevation to power 
as " Roi des Frangais " of that same Louis Philippe, son 
of Philip Egalite, whom we have already seen in New 
Orleans, as the guest of the Marignys. Lakanal, on 
reaching home, was feted by the Court, and was restored 
to his seat in the Institute, together with Martin and 
others. Thus was a regicide restored to his civic rights 
h\ the son of another regicide — a literal fulfilment of 
the prophec}' of our eccentric but honest Chevalier. 

Of Lakanal's earlj^ life in New Orleans but little is 
known. His scholarly habits, it seems, had made him 
somewhat of a recluse, and in the companionship of his 
favorite authors, it is said, he spent most of his leisure 
moments. His writings, found after his death, have 
never been published, and contain interesting memoirs 
connected with our early history. He was a kind and 
pure man, withal, but, unfortunately carried his theories 
to excess. 



ODD CHARACTERS AND CELEBRITIES. 7 1 

GEN. VICTOR J.ICREAU. 

This hero, the eneiii}- and popular rival of Napoleon 
Bonaparte, came to New Orleans in the first decade of 
the present century. He was originally a lawyer, but, 
on the declaration of war against France by Austria and 
other powers, he was elected, in 1791, chief of battalion 
of the volunteers of Rennes, his native town. He was 
made a Lieutenant General in 1794, and led the army 
of Flanders in a successful campaign. In 1796, he took 
command of the army of the Rhine and Moselle, and de- 
feated the Archduke Charles, of Austria, at Heydenheim 
and in many other engagements ; but his supplies hav- 
ing been cut off by the withdrawal of Jourdan, who was 
to co-operate with him, he effected a retreat of twenty- 
six miles through three attacking armies, without losing 
a man, and bringing back seven thousand prisoners. 
He defeated the Austrians again at Hunningen in the 
following year, commanded in Italy in 1799, and in 
Germany in 1800, defeating the Austrians at Hohenlin- 
den. 

Napoleon was jealous of hitn. His growing populari- 
ty excited apprehension. He, therefore, caused him to 
be accused of complicity with the Royalists, and he was 
sentenced to exile in 1804. Moreau embarked for the 
United States, and, in the course of his travels through 
the country, halted at New Orleans. His public recep- 
tion was a grand affair. The Governor, the military and 
civic authorities, as well as the people themselves — the 
vidgiis profanum — turned out en masse to make the 
solemnity imposing. Judging from the meagre accounts 
of that period, the ovation must have been highly flat- 
tering to his pride. In these gratifying testimonials, 
his wife had a full share. The ladies were lavish in 
such acts of hospitality as were peculiar to the Creoles 
of the period. 



72 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

He mingled freely with the French people, and was 
not slow in giving the accolade to the few veterans here 
who had seen service, both in Egypt and on the Rhine, 
of whom there were several. He played piquet with 
Pitot, discussed law with Derbigny, talked of strategy 
with Bellechasse, sipped wine with Claiborne, played 
billiards with Marigny, and in every way made him- 
self agreeable and grateful to our elated citizens. He 
was extremely fond of horseback exercise, and would 
improve his leisure moments b}' taking short excursions 
around the surrounding conntr3\ It was during one of 
these jaunts in the neighborhood of New Orleans that, 
while in company with Major St. Geme, a man that had 
seen service in Jamaica, he was struck by the peculiar 
fitness of a piece of ground, which formed a natural bul- 
wark against an invading land force from below the riv- 
er. Sitting erect upon his horse, he critically examined 
the spot, and descanted with warmth on the many ad- 
vantages which the locality offered, if fortified as an 
intrenched camp. His companion never forgot this 
incident, and related it to I,ivingston, who, in turn, re- 
peated it to " Old Hickory, " on the memorable, freez- 
ing 24th of December, 1814. That spot was Rodriguez' 
Canal, and it was the same which, upon its banks, 
Jackson selected and immortalized by his heroic de- 
fense ! This is a historical fact. 

Moreau was very short in stature, and, from the plain- 
ness of his person and the simplicity of his manners, no 
one would have imagined that under such a frail tene- 
ment was encased the soul" of one of the greatest gener- 
als of the age. He was affable and engaging in con- 
versation, and left a deep and favorable impression. 

LAFAYETTE. 

In the beginning of April, 1S25, whilst the spirit of 
money-making and speculation was slowly developing 



ODD CHARACTERS AND CELEBRITIES. 73 

itself on 'Change and other financial marts, the Marquis 
of Lafavette, the "Hero of Two Continents," as his ad- 
mirers \vere wont to style him, arrived m our midst, 
after having visited Washington, at the special invita- 
tion of Congress, and journeyed through the various 

States. 

The State Legislature, through an usual committee, 
had made arrangements for his reception with the Mu- 
nicipality. The Hall of the City Council, as well as 
the offices of Mavor Rofiignac, had been entirely refitted, 
and were admirably adorned and luxuriously furnished. 
Everywhere the hand of tasteful woman was to be seen, 
as was evidenced by the gay festoons and garlands ot 
natural flowers that graced the silken draperies. The 
public ovation tendered him was, if the public prints are 
to be credited, one worthy of the occasion, after which 
a grand dinner, with its consequent speech making, win- 
ing and consequent indigestion and headache, was gone 
through. Then a general illumination of the city fol- 
lowed, every citizen vying with one another m sus- 
pending from their balconies and windows tn-colored 
lampions or small lamps. A fine suit of apartments 
^as arranged for him at the "Hotel des Etrangers, 
on Chartres street, and a table with thirty covers was 
set dailv during the General's stay, for the entertain- 
ment of such planters and friends as he might wish 
to entertain. It is needless to say that, in the list of 
festivities, visits to the theatres and attendance at balls 
and select reunions were not overlooked. 

He was fond of exhibiting to his visitors the sword 
of honor presented to him, more than forty years before 
bv Franklin, in the name of Congress, and to which 
was attached a peculiar history. It was in every respect 
an exquisite work of art. Its hilt and scabbard, of pure 
massive gold, were richly Qniamentea with precious stones 



74 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

and embossed figures. It was the worthy offering of a 
grateful nation to a patriot benefactor. During the Reign 
of Terror, Mdme. de Lafayette, dreading the excesses to 
which the sanguinary mob were liable to be driven, had 
concealed her most valuable effects in various secret 
places, and among the former was the appreciated gift 
of our infant Republic. Digging a hole in her own gar- 
den, at the foot of a tree, she buried the relic within a 
wooden box. It was not long after this occurrence that 
the Austrians seized the person of the General, and, 
after one year's captivity at Magdeburg, conveyed him 
to the citadel of Olmutz. Immured within one of the 
dungeons of that State fortalice, loaded with chains, a 
victim upon whom the Emperor Francis II was venting 
his rage, in retaliation for the cruelty and indignities in- 
flicted upon his kinswoman, Marie Antoinette, he was 
only set free after a detention of many years by the 
sword of Napoleon. This occurred in 1797, but it was 
not before the year 1800, after the overthrow of the 
Directory, that he returned to France. His wife and 
two daughters, who had been permitted to share his 
prison life, accompanied him, and together they proceed- 
ed to LaGrange, his country residence in Brie. There 
Lafayette sought his hidden treasure, but alas ! time, 
rust and moisture had entirely destroyed the highly 
tempered blade. Nothing but the hilt and scabbard had 
remained. To repair this mishap, and with a delicacy 
honorable to his character, Bonaparte, then Consul, 
caused a new one to be made, the materials used being 
the hinges of the dungeon doors of the Bastille, with al- 
legorical devices illustrating the fraternal union of Amer- 
ica and France. 

DR. ANTOMMARCHI. 

This is the name of a man long forgotten, except by 
the historical student. He was one of Napoleon's phy- 



ODD CHARACTERS AND CELEBRITIES. 75 

sicians during his captivity at St. Helena, and attended 
him in his dying moments. Inasmuch as he resided 
and practiced medicine among us at one time, an outline 
of his previous career may not be out of place. 

Francois Antommarchi was born atMarsiglia, Corsica, 
on the 5th day of July, 1789. He attended the schools 
of Leghorn, Pisa and Florence. In the latter city he 
became the pupil and afterward the successor of Mas- 
cagni, the great anatomist. His works and researches 
were attracting much attention from the scientific world, 
when, in 18 18, he was called away from his labors to at- 
tend the Emperor, at St. Helena. 

Dr. Antommarchi left Rome in 18 19, receiving verbal 
instructions from Madame Mere, as Napoleon's mother 
was called, and other members of the family. Obtain- 
ing permission from the English government, he sailed 
for the rock bound island from Gravesend on board of a 
leaky merchant ship. 

On his reti^irn to Europe after the Emperor's death, he 
published Memoirs entitled ' ' East Moments of Napo- 
leon," wherein are transcribed all the particulars of his 
voyage and residence on the island ; the sayings of Na- 
poleon, the daily occurences of his life, and observations 
on kindred subjects. Like the " Memorial of St. Hel- 
ene," by Count Las Cazes, and the Memoires of Montho- 
Ion and Gourgaud, they are full of thrilling interest. 
They abound in expressions of condemnation at the \\\-J^X<^ 
human conduct of the captive's jailers. 

When Napoleon, after enduring the martyrdom of a 
long agony, finally breathed his last sigh, Antommarchi 
closed his eyes, embalmed his body, inclosed his heart 
within an urn, and inhumed his remains. As no calcin- 
ed plaster could be found at St. Helena, the Doctor obtain- 
ed permission to proceed in a boat to a distant part of the 
island in quest of some sulphate of lime, which, he was 



76 NEW ORLE.-VNS AS IT WAS. 

informed, was to be found in small quantities there. As 
soon as he had obtained a sufficient supply, and subject- 
ed it to a chemical process, he hastened, in the presence 
of the Emperor's household and of the British officers, 
to take a cast of the hero's features. He was perfectly 
successful. No disfigurement, no contortion, nothwith- 
standing the sufferings of a protracted death struggle, 
was visible on the mould, which a collector of ''curios " 
in London was offering for sale, about two years ago, at 
5,000 pounds sterling. Despite the opinion of some 
physicians, the Emperor's head was one of the largest 
known in Europe, and as Antoramarchi himself said, 
" un de ces phenomenes dont la nature se montre avare, ct 
qu'il faut des siecles pour que la science en remarque dc 
semblables.^^ 

After the expulsion of the Bourbons, Antommarchi, 
who was in necessitous circumstances, made vain and 
unsuccessful attempts to dispose of the mask. He 
offered it to the government of Louis Philippe, but his 
proposition was declined by the Ministry. He refused, 
in London, an immense sum, 40,000 pounds sterling, it 
is said, but this statement is extremely doubtful. 
Whereupon, a joint stock company was formed in France, 
headed by Marshals Clausel, Bertrand and other dis- 
tinguished ex-Imperialists, the main features of which 
was the duplicating of the bust to an indefinite number, 
and, with the proceeds of the sale, to purchase the 
Doctor's proprietary right thereto and to donate the 
precious memento to the Hotel des Invalides. But the 
last part of the programme was never accomplished. 

On a Saturday morning, November 9, 1834, the ship 
Salem, from Havre, reached our port. Among her 
passengers was Antommarchi. His arrival here had 
been preceded by the following letter, which spoke for 
itself : 



ODD CHARACTERS AND CELEBRITIES. 77 

" Paris, September 2, 1834. 
'\Monsicur le Grand Marechal Bert rand : 

"Ou the eve of leaving France for the city of New 
Orleans, I deem it my duty to acquaint you with the 
cause of my departure. 

"As you are aware, the Emperor Napoleon, in his 
last will, had made provisions for my future and my 
fortune. Unforeseen obstacles have prevented the ac- 
complishment of his benevolent intentions. The con- 
servative measures which I took to enforce their exe- 
cution have been disregarded. My rights and just 
claims being entirely ignored, I see myself compelled 
at this late da)^ to resort to the tribunals of my country 
for redress. To attend in person to these judicial debates 
will be to me painful in the extreme. I separate my- 
self, therefore, with great regret from France, and I 
kindly hope you will not disapprove of the motives that 
lead me to this determination. I hope that you will 
continue to do justice to one who has had the high privi- 
lege of once being your fellow-exile, of witnessing the 
long hours of anguish of the greatest man of his age, 
and of finally closing his eyes in death. Accept, Mon- 
sieur le Grand Marechal, etc. , 

" Dr. F. Antommarchi." 

No words can describe the enthusiasm of our French 
residents when, on descending the companion ladder, 
Antommarchi strode upon the wharf and was received 
by a large deputation, headed by Judge Maurian. He 
was escorted to the " Salle Davis,'' on Orleans street, 
where Dr. Formento welcomed him in elegant and feel- 
ing language. He was lodged provisionally at Marti 's 
Hotel, known to-day as " L' Hotel des Etrangers," on 
Chartres street, below St. Louis, where a continuous 
levee was held, an increasing stream of struggling hu- 



7b NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

manity, and, at night, a serenade given him by the 
artists of the French theatre. These manifestations of 
respect and honor were prolonged during several days, 
at which time the effervescence having somewhat subsid- 
ed, the Doctor was left a little more to himself and to re- 
pose. In response to inquiries, he said that his inten- 
tion was to make New Orleans his permanent home, and 
by his industry and professional pursuits to earn the 
livelihood and position which had been denied him at 
home. 

On the fourth day after his arrival, he addressed the 
following letter to Denis Prieur, the then mayor of the 
city. 

" New Orleans, November 12, 1834. 
" Zb Mo7isienr the Mayor of Neiv Orleans: 

" Deeply moved by the generous sentiments and the 
kind reception I have met at the hands of the sons of 
lyouisiana, I have the honor to offer this city a bronze 
mask of the Emperor Napoleon, cast by me at St Hele- 
na, after his death, together with its base, made of 
bronze also. 

"This gift is destined to perpetuate among your free 
people the memory of the greatest man of the world, and 
I am proud on this occasion of the opportunity which it 
offers to associate my name with the commemoration of 
those grand and glorious souvenirs which this illustrious 
and majestic head recalls to all brave lyouisiauians, as 
well as to the rest of mankind. 

"Awaiting your orders in this matter. Monsieur the 
Mayor, I have the honor to be with high consideration, 

" F. Antommarchi. " 

The communication was submitted to the City Coun- 
cil, and it was resolved that the souvenir should be ac- 
cepted and placed in the Council Chamber. No sooner 
had this action become known, than the French resi- 



ODD CHARACTERS AND CELEBRITIES, 79 

dents determined to make it the occasion of a pnblic 
jubilee. The lyCgion was called out on the " Place d' 
Armes," with flags flying and drums beating. French 
societies, in holiday attire, and thousands of the 
" unattached," preceded by numerous bands playing 
'' Partant pour la Syrie'' and the '' Marseil/aise,'' parad- 
ed Chartres, Royal and Bourbon streets, with Dr. An- 
tommarchi at their head, until they finally halted in 
front of the old " Cabildo'' (now the rooms occupied by 
the Supreme Court and offices), where the presentation 
took place in due form. I shall not go into the details 
of the affair, but the reader may picture to himself, as 
his fanc)' may lead, the speeches, the wine bibi)ing and 
the toasts that usually prevailed at such public convivi- 
alities. 

Some years ago, while chatting with my regretted old 
friend, Mandeville Marigny, on old-time subjects, he 
reminded me of this incident, and, while the subject 
was still fresh in my mind, I went to the City Hall to 
see again this relic of a past generation. Together with 
an autograph letter of Louis Napoleon, the city's prop- 
erty also, it had disappeared. I remember that the 
" Evening States" called public attention to the fact at 
that time, but no information as to its whereabouts was 
ever elicited. This act of piracy occurred during the 
period of Reconstruction, of which our people had so 
much cause to complain. 

A few days after the ceremony of presentation, he 
opened an office afMr. Trudeau's residence, 13 Royal 
street, and another at the domicile of Nicholas Girod, 
one of the .surviving mayors of the city, at the corner of 
St. Louis and Chartres. At this latter place, the poor 
were attended without remuneration. 

It was not long after he had opened a practice among 
us that several persons whom he had offended, per- 



8o NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

haps, by his garrulous habits, began to circulate reports 
that he was nothing but an arrant humbug — a grand 
faiseiir d' enibarras — and his popularity from that mo- 
ment assumed a downward tendency. Several of our 
distinguished practitioners took umbrage at his empiric 
mode of advertisement in the daily papers, and looked 
upon him, if not checked in time, as a formidable com- 
petitor. Whether from motives of jealousy or in strict 
pursuance of their code of ethics, or from both causes 
combined, their persecution led to an angry controversj' 
the result of which eventuated in disgusting him with 
the city and in his return to fatherland. 

MARIQUITA. 

Who is the man, woman or child that having lived in 
New Orleans, some fifty years ago, has not heard of 
poor ' ' Mariquita la Calentura ? ' ' Her name was a 
household word, and her memory still evokes a smile. 
A poor, old, half-witted tramp, she was once the terror 
of children, the martyr of boys and the sport of adults. 
Poor Mariquita ! Though half a century has passed 
away since she left this world's harsh scenes, methinks 
I still see her as I saw her in boyhood's days, an incar- 
nated Meg Merrillies, wildly gliding about the streets, 
her gray disheveled locks streaming in the wind, and 
the skirts of her dress bedraggled with mud. 

Her appearance in public was the signal for the gibes 
and taunts of unruly urchins of every class and color, 
among whom she was always a special favorite. Then, 
like some ancient pythoness, agitating her lank, wiry 
form into every possible contortion, she would vent all the 
anathemas known to the Spanish vocabulary (whose 
language, by the way, is passably rich in billingsgate) 
upon their guilty heads. After which her pretended 
anger having somewhat subsided, she would usually 




PSRE ANTOINE. 
From Original Painting in Presoytery of the St. Louis Cathedral. 



ODD CHARACTERS AND CELEBRITIES. 8 1 

close her tirade with a begging request. '' Donne moin 
picayon, papa f Qui (a to oulc Jait avecf Achete cafe.'' 
(Give me a picayune, papa? What do you waut with 
it ? Buy coffee.) 

A life of strife and turmoil was her normal condition. 
She loved and wallowed in it. To be pelted with mud 
and clods was her supreme delight. If unnoticed, or 
allowed to pass along the street without a cat-call or a 
coarse joke, she would resent the slight without delay, 
and work herself into a passion. Then, her language, a 
strange pot-pourri of Spanish and Creole, became more 
forcible than polite, and chaste ears were rudely shocked- 
She was so well known about town, and was deemed 
such a privileged character, that the police and the pub- 
lic authorities never molested her. In fact, she was fre- 
quently to be seen around the Mayor's ofhce, whom she 
would amuse with her sprightly sallies. She looked upon 
him as her natural protector. " Ma vas dit Prieur, si to 
pas laisse moiJt tranquille,'' was her constant threat, 
whenever goaded beyond endurance. (I'll tell Prieur on 
3^ou, if you don't leave me alone.") 

Her origin and parentage were always a mystery — even 
the place of her birth. Upon those subjects she was 
.determinedly reticent. Some said she was born in Cuba- 
others in the Phillipine Islands, and others again among 
the Islenos of St. Bernard, but, there can be no doubt that 
she first saw the light under the Spanish flag. My grand- 
mother once told me that she remembered Mariquita in 
her younger days. Mariquita w^as married at that time to 
a middle-aged man, who peddled flints and spunk among 
cigar smokers (loco-foco matches being then an unin- 
vented luxury), around the markets and the levee front. 
She was, at that period, a tidy, strikingly beautiful 
brunette, with dark lustrous eyes; fond of dress, and 
rather inclined to flirting and gallantry, a propensity 



52 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

which the snows of age seemed never to have checked. 

Nothwithstanding her well-known disinclination to 
satisfy public curiosity as to her past history, I succeed- 
ed, on one occasion, to draw from her the fact that she 
had once passionately loved a Spanish officer. I con- 
cluded from her broken, disjointed sentences that grief 
for the loss of her lover had affected her brain. With a 
sweet smile irradiating her parchment-colored visage, she 
would exclaim : '''Ah! lite si Joii, avec so bean riban 
rouge su so potrine.'" (Oh! he was so handsome, with 
his pretty red scarf around his breast.) Then, as if fear- 
ing she had said too much, she would resume with croning 
voice her usual refrain : " Donne mo in pi cay on, papa.''' 

Poor Mariquita died some time in 1845, on Barracks 
street, under a shed in a woodyard. When found in the 
morning, she was arrayed in her usual tatters and rags. 
But, as soon as the boys, who had teased her so much in 
life, became aware of her sudden taking off, they. pur- 
chased by a subscription among themselves, the neat 
coffin in which she was buried, and followed her remains 
to the ditch, which was to be her last resting place. 

It is conjectured that nearly five hundred striplings — 
the sole mourners on the occasion — accompanied her 
funeral, a spectacle never witnessed before in New Or- 
leans. They had lost their early, though demented 
friend, and God, who reads into the hearts of his 
creatures, smiled upon the affectionate scene. 

It may not be amiss to give the origin of the name, 
by which she was universally known. Mariquita is the 
diminutive of Maria, and '' la calentnra,'" which signi- 
fies "fever" in Spanish, was a soubriquet given her, on 
account of her constant suffering, as she claimed, from 
that ailment — the result probably of her disordered brain. 
One of the finest works of art in New Orleans w^as painted 
by an eminent local artist, and represents her in the at- 



ODD CHARACTERS AND CELEBRITIES. »3 

titude of stooping over a fireplace, watching her coffee 
pot and warming her hands. The resemblance is realis- 
tic, and, as a finished piece of work, it deserves to be 
preserved in an art gallery. 

THE OLD MAN OF THE CATHEDRAL. 

Keeping ward and .vigil over the venerable pile erect- 
ed by the erstwhile roysterer, Don Almonester, in expi- 
ation and atonement for many youthful indiscretions 
and peccadilloes, was wont to be seen, many years ago, 
from early morn to late sunset, a familiar figure, bent 
with age, flowing grizzly locks, unkempt beard and com- 
pact, heavy build. Slowly pacing up and down the 
pavement between the old Cabildo and St. Anthony's 
Alley, muttering prayers and soliloquies in words that 
no one could comprehend, and occasionall)^ casting his 
eyes heavenward with expressions of fervor, as if wrapt 
in the ecstacy and contemplation of some holy vision, 
this pious octogenarian became the cynosure of every 
regard and the wonder of passing strangers. Strongly 
did he remind me of the words of the bard : 

" His brain is wrecked — 
For, ever in the pauses of his speech, 
His lips doth work with inward mutterings, 
And his fixed eye is riveted fearfully 
On something that no other sight can spy." 

His garb was uncouth and worn threadbare, of woolen 
fabric. A heavy winter overcoat, of a drab color, in- 
cased his muscular frame, which vestment he was never 
known to discard, not even in the midst of summer's 
solstitial heat. Poor Pietro ! His life had no doubt 
been a checkered one, and his history an unsolved mys- 
tery. He never spoke to anyone. He never asked for 
alms, though occasionally, and only when want pressed 



84 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Upon him, he would accept a small piece of silver or a 
bit of food from the Catholic worshippers. 

From early boyhood, I became deeply interested in 
this strange, reticent and harmless old man. As I grew 
in years, I endeavored several times by trivial acts of 
kindness to win his confidence, and in his native lan- 
guage lo lead him into conversation. But my efforts 
proved fruitless; with a grateful look, but a sigh of bit- 
ter anguish, he would abruptly turn away, mumble 
a few incoherent words, and resume his patient vigil 
around the consecrated ground. It was evident that 
he would not speak, and that his secret, whatever it 
might be, was securely locked within his breast. Nor 
did my inquiries among the educated classes of the 
Italian colony, the Valettis, the Natilis, the Gabiccis, 
the I^anatas and other equally representative men, elicit 
more satisfactory information. Further than the facts 
that the mysterious " old man of the Cathedral" was a 
Genoese by birth, an erstwhile merchant prince, and the 
victim of a shipwreck on the coast of Yucatan, the hor- 
rors of which had bereft him of reason, while the angry 
waves, lashed into fury, had engulfed his worldly goods 
and hoarded wealth, nothing else could be learned. 
With the sinking of this precious argosy, all traces of 
his former self had forever disappeared. His physical 
appearance was peculiarly interesting. Despite his 
dirt-begrimed face, his matted beard, his shaggy, stream- 
ing white locks, his neck deeply sunk between huge 
stooping shoulders, yet his piercing eyes, commanding 
look and self-possessed demeanor bespoke a man of gen- 
tle lineage and good education. No one knew where he 
slept, or took his meals. He was sometimes seen 
munching a biscuit or cake, given him by some good 
natured youngster, but otherwise his retreat and mode 
of living was an impenetrable secret. With the deep- 



ODD CHARACTERS AND CELEBRITIES. 85 

euing of night's shadows, he would suddenly disap- 
pear, while, with the punctuality of the sun's rise, he 
was to be seen at his post at the church door, intent on 
his devotions and the recitation of his beads. Then, his 
orisons concluded, he would rise from his kneeling 
posture and renew, like a faithful sentry, his usual 
rounds. When driven away by the intense heat, mop- 
ping his forehead dripping with beads of perspiration, 
he would hie himself to the rear of the structure and 
seek shelter under the grateful shades of the magnolias. 
Often and often, while on my w^ay to the court building, 
have I watched his ever}' motion, and noticed, not with- 
out surprise, the clock-work regularity of his daily 
movements and actions. 

Unlike crazy Mariquita, the plaything and buffoon of 
the whole community, poor Pietro, though a victim to 
the same sad infirmity, had won the love and respect of 
every one. Never was a complaint, an oath or an ob- 
scene expression known to escape his lips. His suffer- 
ings he bore with meek resignation, and in the abodes 
of peace and rest to which his long suffering soul has 
sped, it is to be hoped that he still continues in his for- 
mer occupation of ' ' guardian of the church. ' ' 

The following lines from the pen oj Geo. W. Christy, a 
Loicisia?iian as talented as he was rnodest, are worthy of 
reproduction. 

THE WIZARD OF THE CATHEDRAI,. 

" When the vesper bell doth toll, 
Calling on the weary soul. 

To tell a praj-er; 
And the dim old arches ring, 
As the full voiced choir sing 
A solemn air ; 



86 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Up aud down, as in a spell, 

Treads that ancient sentinel, 
Day and night, and night and day, 

Ever seemeth he a prey 

To black despair. 
Wan in feature, bent in form. 

Through the sunshine, through the storm 
Round that ancient building going, 

Upward glances often throwing, 
Never weary, in a spell. 

Treads that aged sentinel. 
People say that he is crazed, 

Strangers passing seem amazed, 
As they ask — 
Where he lives, and what his name, 

Where he goes, and whence he came, 
Idle task : 
Whence he came, or whither goes, 

None may tell, lor no one knows, 
'Tis a simple tale to tell 

Wh)' he plays the sentinel. 
Dreaming ever in his mind. 

That by searching he will find 
A treasure, 
Lost to him long years before 

Near that old Cathedral door ; 
That the measure of his joys will come again 

If the treasure he regain. 
Wan in feature, bent in form. 

Through the sunshine and the storm, 
For that treasure 
Looks he here, and looks he there, 

Round the building, every where, 



ODD CIIARACTKRS AND Ce;L1';HRITI]',S. 87 

That the lueasnre of his joys may come again 

To relieve his fevered brain. 
Senlini'l ! lliy vigils keep 

Round that ancient building still 
Near its sacred threshold sleep ! 

There await thy Master's will. 
'Tis the treasure of thy soul, 

Which thy dreaming Fancy sees, 
lyist ! again that Vesper toll ! 

Enter, crawling on thy knees. 
Ashes cast upon thy head, 

Bending meekly to the ground. 
Now arise ! thy dream hath fled, 

Lo ! the treasure lost is found ! 

DOMINIQUE YOU. 

After a residence in our midst, covering a period ot 
nearly twenty two years, there died in this cit\-, on the 
15th of November, 1830, a man who, despite the crimi- 
nal record of his early career, and the oblocjuy once 
attached to his reputation, achieved glory for himself, 
nobl}^ redeemed a tainted name, and at his death re- 
ceived public obsequies due only to heroes and public 
benefactors. This man was Dominique You, the Corsair 
of the Gulf, the terror of the Caribbean Sea. 

His life was a romance — a series of daring deeds. He 
was boru in the Island of St. Domingo, in the town of 
Port au Prince, and from boyhood was a rover on the 
sea. Finding himself in France at the time of the 
Revolution, he took part in the several engagements 
that preceded the establishment of the Consulate, and, 
being an expert artillerist, accompanied I^eclerc, Na- 
poleon's brother-in-law, in his ill-fated expedition 
against the revolted negroes of Hayti, in 1802. 



88 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

After the return of the discomfited army to France, he 
engaged in privateering on his own account, but, find- 
ing this occupation unprofitable and expensive, he came 
to this city, where he soon fouiid employment under 
Jean and Pierre L,afitte, the world-known reputed pirates, 
whose favorite lieutenant he soon became. He was nick- 
named Cap/faine L>o??n'?n'quehy the French, though. Joan- 
7iot was the 7t07n de guerre he had assumed. This alias 
is usually affixed to his name in court records. His cour- 
age was proverbial. At the time Venezuela declared her 
independence, You was granted letters of marque from the 
insurgent patriots, and inflicted terrible damage on Span- 
ish commerce. His name became one of terror to the 
proud Dons, and it is more than likely that, in his new- 
born zeal for the infant Republic, he occasionally mistook 
neutrals for enemies. For several years he took part in 
the unlawful operations of the brothers Lafitte, such as 
the importation of slaves from the West Indies and the 
introduction of contraband goods unlawfully obtained, 
until in July, 1814, he was indicted by a United States 
Grand Jury for piracies committed in the Gulf. He 
succeeded in evading arrest. When Commodore Patter- 
son afterwards made his successful raid on the establish- 
ment of the Baratarians, scattered their clans to the 
winds and seized all of their warships. You found a 
refuge in the swamps of the interior ; but, when the 
English invaded the soil of L,ouisiana, after spurning 
their seductive offers, he at once proffered his services to 
the Government, which were accepted after some hesita- 
tion. His daring in that memorable campaign consti- 
tutes one of the most glorious pages of our State history. 

Pardoned by a .special proclamation of President Madi- 
son, he turned away from the path of crime, and engag- 
ed in peaceful pursuits. His example was imitated by 
many of his former companions, who forsook their 



ODD CHARACTERS AND CKLEHRITIKS. 89 

predatory habits and became useful and honorable mem- 
bers of society. Several took wives among us, having 
left descendants who are now living in our midst. You 
was never wedded. In later years he occasionally drift- 
ed into politics, and, from the fact that he was always a 
staunch supporter of his veteran chief, I must suppose 
he was a "Jackson Democrat." 

He died at his residence, at the corner of Love and 
Mandeville streets, at the age of fifty-five years, in a 
state of poverty bordering on penury. Too proud to ask 
for assistance from any of the friends who would have 
promptly and cheerfully relieved his pressing wants, he 
bore his adverse fate with a resigned spirit. It was 
only when death had seized him in its relentless grasp 
that his old comrades and the public generally became 
aware of his straitened circumstances. The members 
of the City Council, upon being apprized of the fact, re- 
solved to pay the sacred debt of gratitude which the 
country owed him, and ordered, in the name of the cor- 
poration of New Orleans, extensive preparations for his 
interment. In this testimonial of honor the whole 
Legion, a model military organization of uniformed 
companies, to the success of which the deceased had 
greatly contributed during his lifetime, turned out to a 
man and made an imposing pageant. On the day set 
apart for the fvmeral, every bank and business house was 
closed, the flags of our shipping and public buildings, 
even those of the foreign consuls, were displayed at 
half-mast, while the salvos of the Orleans Artillery, of 
whom he was one of the original founders, rang out a 
last requiem over his memory. 

He was buried in the old St. Louis cemetery in the 
centre aisle of which, near the gate, is now to be seen 
his well-kept tomb, upon which an epitaph in French 
commemorates his virtues and valor — 

^'Sur la terre et sur Vonde.''^ 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE VOUDOUS. 



THEIR HISTORY, MYSTERIES AND PRACTICES. 



Who has uot heard, iu connection with the local his- 
tory of New Orleans, of that mysterious and religious 
sect of fanatics, imported from the jungles of Africa and 
implanted in our midst, so well known under the appel- 
lation of Vo2idousf St. John's Day — the 24th of June — 
is the day consecrated by them to their peculiar idolatry. 
Drifting into this country and the West India Islands 
with the constant influx of the Slave Trade, this dis- 
gusting organization or order, with its stupid creed and 
bestial rites, made considerable progress among the low 
and ignorant of our population in the early period of 
the present century, and extended its ramifications 
among the servile classes through most of our Creole 
parishes. 

Their dances are original, partaking somewhat of the 
character of the " Calinda'''' and ^' Bamboula,'^ now 
made world-famous by the genius of our fellow-towns- 
man, Edward Gottschalk, who has set them to most ex- 
quisite music. But it is not for these dances alone that 
the study of Voudouism deserves to be considered, but 
for the further reason that they are accompanied by cir 



THE VOUDOUS. 91 

cuinstances so odd, vStrange, and, I may say, atrocious, 
as to deserv^e particular notice. 

According to the Africans of the Arada nation, who 
claim to have preserved unsullied the faith and ceremo- 
nies of their religion, the word " Voudou " signifies an 
all-powerful and supernatural Being, from whom all 
events derive their origin. And what or who is that 
Being? A serpent, a harmless snake, under whose 
auspices these religionists gather. The attributes of 
prescience and knowledge of the past are ascribed to it, 
and these he manifests through the medium of a High 
Priest selected by the sect, and most frequently through 
the lips of the black wench, whom the love of the 
former has elevated to the post of a consort. 

These two ministers of the God-Serpent, claiming to 
act under its inspiration, assume the pompous names of 
King and Queen ; at other times the despotic titles of 
Master and Mistress, and sometimes those of a more 
affectionate nature, Papa and Mamma. They hold oihce 
by a life tenure, and exact unbounded confidence from 
their adepts. They communicate the will of the Ser- 
pent in all matters appertaining to the admission or re- 
jection of candidates. They prescribe the duties and 
obligations incumbent upon them. They receive the 
gifts and presents, which the God expects as a tribute to 
his power. To disobey or resist means offence to the 
Deity, and subjects the recalcitrant to great penalties. 

As soon as this system of domination, on the one hand, 
and of blind submission on the other, has been well es- 
tablished, they hold meetings at stated periods, at which 
the King and Queen preside, in accordance with tradi- 
tions borrowed from Africa, and varied at times by creole 
customs and others of European origin, as, for instance, 
in matters of dress and ornament. These reunions, 
whenever they are conducted in their primitive purity, 



92 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

are always strictly secret, are held in the night time, and 
in a place so secluded as to escape the gaze of any pro- 
fane eye. There, every member, after divesting him- 
self of his usual raiment, puts on a pair of sandals and 
girds his loins with a number of red handkercliiefs. 
The Voudou King is distinguished from his subjects by a 
greater number, and of a finer quality, of those coverings, 
always using some crimson stuff, wrapped around his 
kinky head, in lieu of a diadem. A cord, usually blue, 
encircles his waist. The Queen is dressed with more 
simplicity, affects red garments and adorns her person 
with a sash of the same hue. 

The King and Queen take their positions at one end 
of the room, near a species of altar, on which is placed a 
box, wherein the serpent is imprisoned, and where the 
afiiliated can view it outside the bars. As soon as a strict 
inspection assures them that no intruder is within hear- 
ing or sight, the ceremony begins by the adoration of 
his Snakeship, by protestations of fidelity to his cult, 
and of submission to his behests. They renew into the 
hands of the King and Queen the oath of secrecy, which 
is the corner stone of their order, and, while this part of 
the ritual is being accomplished, horrible and delirious 
scenes follow. 

The worshippers being thus prepared to receive the 
impressions which the Sovereigns seem to infuse into 
them, the latter, assuming the benign tones of a fond 
father and mother, extol the happiness which is in store 
for every faithful Voudou, exhort them to confidence, 
and urge them to always seek their advice, whatever the 
emergency may be. 

The group then breaks up, and each one, according 
to his wants or right of precedence, comes forward to 
implore the Voudou God. As the majority were slaves, 
they would ask for the gift of domination over the minds 



THE VOUDOUS. 93 

of their masters. One would solicit money, another 
success in love, while a third would crave the return of 
some faithless swain, or a speedy cure or the blessings 
of a long life. While a withered hag would be conjuring 
the God for a youthful admirer, a young one would hurl 
maledictions upon a successful rival. There is not a 
passion, to which human nature may be prone, that is 
not incarnated or typified in these motley assemblies, 
while crime itself is frequently invoked by those carried 
away by malice. 

To every one of these petitions or invocations, the 
Voudou King lends a heedful ear. The spirit begins to 
move him. He suddenly seizes the precious box, lays 
it on the floor, and places the Queen upon the lid. 
No sooner has her foot touched the sacred receptacle, 
than she becomes possessed, like a new Pythone.ss. 
Her frame quivers, her whole body is convulsed, and 
the oracle pronounces its edicts through her inspired 
lips. On some she bestows flattery and promises of 
success, at others she thunders forth bitter invectives. 
Following the trend either of her own wishes, of her 
personal interest, or of her capricious mood, she dictates 
irrevocable laws, in the name of the serpent, to a set of 
idiots, who gulp down every absurdity with stupendous 
credulity, and whose rule is blind obedience to every 
mandate. 

As soon as the oracle has answered every question 
propounded, a circle is formed and the serpent is put 
back upon the unholy fane. Then each one presents 
his offering, and places it in a hat impervious to prying 
curiosity. These tributes, the King and Queen assure 
them, are acceptable to their Divine protector. From 
these oblations a fund is raised which enables them to 
defray the expenses of the meetings, to provide help for 
the needy, and to reward those from whom the society 



94 NEW ORI^EANS AS IT WAS. 

expects some important service. Plans are next pro- 
posed, and lines of action prescribed nnder the direc- 
tion, as the Queen always affirms, of the God, " Vou- 
dou." Of these many are contrary to morality and to 
the maintenance of law and order. An oath is again 
administered, which binds not only every one to se- 
crecy, but to assist in carrying out the work agreed 
upon. Sometimes, a bowl, dripping with the still warm 
blood of a kid, seals upon the lips of the assistants the 
promise to suffer death rather than reveal the secret, 
and even to murder a traitor to this obligation. 

And now the Voudou dance begins. 

If there be a candidate present, his initiation inau- 
gurates this part of the ceremony. The Voudou King 
traces a large circle in the centre of the room with a 
piece of charcoal, and places within it the sable neo- 
phite. He now thrusts into his hand a package of 
herbs, horse hair, rancid tallow, waxen effigies, bro- 
ken bits of horn, and other substances equally nau- 
seating. Then lightly striking him on the head with 
a small wooden paddle, he launches forth into the 
following African chaunt ! 

"Eh! eh! Bomba, hen, hen! 
Canga bafio te, 
Canga moune de le, 
Canga do ki la 
Canga li." 

As these words are repeated in chorus by the onlook- 
ers, the candidate begins to "squirm" and to dance. 
This is called '' viojiter voudou,'" If, unfortunately, he 
should in the excess of his frenzy, happen to step 
out of the line enclosing the mystic circle, the song 
ceases at once, and the King and Queen turn their 
backs upon him, in order to neutralize the bad onitn 



THE VOUDOUS. 95 

When the dancer recovers his self-possession, he re-en- 
ters the ring, becomes convulsed again, drinks some 
stimulant and relapses into a hysteric fit. To put a stop 
to these symptoms, the King sometimes hits him smart- 
ly with his wooden paddle, and, if needs be, uses a cow- 
hide. He is then led to the altar to take the oath, and 
from that moment he is a full-fledged member of the Order. 

On the termination of the ceremony, the King places 
his hand or foot on the box where the snake is ensconc- 
ed, and experiences a shock. He communicates by 
contact this impulsion to his Queen, and through her the 
commotion is conveyed to every one in the circle. Ev- 
ery one then begins to experience convulsions through 
the upper portion of the body, the head and shoulders. 
A work of dislocation of the bones seems to be going on. 
The Queen particularly appears to be most violently af- 
fected. She goes from time to time to the voudou ser- 
pent, to gather a new supply of magnetic influence. 
She shakes the box, and the tinkling bells, that are 
usually suspended from its sides, increase the general 
delirium. Add to this copious draughts of spirituous 
liquors. Then is pandemonium let loose. Fainting fits 
and choking spells succeed one another. A nervous 
tremor possesses everybody. No one escapes its power. 
They spin around with incredible velocity, whilst some, 
in the midst of these bacchanalian orgies, tear their 
vestments, and even lacerate their flesh with their 
gnashing teeth. Others, entirely deprived of reason, 
fall down to the ground from sheer lassitude, and are 
carried, still panting and gyrating into the open air. 

What is undoubtedly true and is a remarkable phe- 
nomenon among these people, is the existence of that 
species of electric fluid which urges these people to 
dance, until bereft of sense through complete exhaus- 
tion. They are not unlike the Shakers in this respect. 



9& NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

These singular details are gleaned from a work en 
titled '^ SoJcve?iirs d^Amerique,^' written by a talented 
Creole lady of New Orleans, who seems to have made a 
special study of the subject. 

The greater portion of these people came to Louis- 
iana at the period of the St. Domingo Revolution, when 
thousands of whites and blacks .repaired to our shores 
in quest of an asylum from impending massacre. 
They brought with them the peculiar dialect of their 
unfortunate and doomed island home, and, among 
other customs which their slaves introduced, they do- 
mesticated in our midst the lascivious saturnalia, the 
horrid orgies and the dangerous, and, in many cases, 
criminal practices that constitute the ritual of this 
African institution. 

A brief historical sketch of their existence and lead- 
ers in New Orleans may prove of interest to the gen- 
eral reader. 

In the foreground of the Kings and Queens who 
wielded here their sceptres with despotic power, was 
a fellow, named John, better known as " Dr John," 
who lived out on the Bayou Road, near its intersec- 
tion with Esplanade street. He was a negro of the 
purest African type. His ebony face was horriblj^ tat- 
toed, in conformity with the usages of the Congo tribe. 
He was glib of tongue, neat in his apparel, always 
wore a frilled shirt front and claimed miraculous pow- 
ers for the cure of diseases. His room or office was 
packed with all sorts of herbs, lizards, toads and phials 
of strange compounds. Thousands visited him. As 
an Indian doctor, he was a great success. 

In addition to this industry, he cumulated the func- 
tions of an astrologer, a mind-reader and professed 
cartomancy and divination also by means of pebbles 
and shells. His control over the credulous and super- 



The voudous. 91 

stitious element of society was incredible. He pretend- 
ed ability to read the past, to know the present and 
to forecast the future. Charms and amulets were spe- 
cial objects of tralhc in his shop, and realized very 
high prices. One wouM stand aghast were he to be 
told the names of the high city dames, who were wont 
to drive in their own carriages, with thickly veiled 
faces, to this sooty black Cagliostro's abode, to con- 
sult him upon domestic affairs. As he was well in- 
formed of many family secrets, through the connivance 
of the hundreds of negro servants attached to the 
cause of Voudouism, his powers of vaticination cease 
to be a subject of wonder. 

He exercised the functions of voudou royalty for up- 
ward of forty years, and was most strict in the observ- 
ance of the African ritual. He was a negro to the 
core — in color, origin and principle. A mulatto was 
his special aversion. " Too black to be white," he was 
wont to say, " and too white to be black, he is nothing 
but a mule." He was well off, having accumulated 
some property. He died shortly after the war, at a very 
advanced age, but such were his vitality and powers of 
endurance that his body ever remained erect and his 
hair jet black. 

Not unlike " Doctor John " in many respects, Marie 
Laveau, deserves mention. In her youth, she was a 
woman of fine physique and a noted procuress. Intro- 
ducing herself into families as a hair dresser, she would 
assist in the clandestine correspondent of sweethearts, 
and aid youthful lovers — and old coquettes as well — in 
their amours. She was an essentially bad woman. 
Though queen of the Voudous, she excised the ritual 
of the original creed, so as to make it conform to the 
worship of the Virgin and of other saints. To idolatry 
she added blasphemy. She was the first to popularize 



98 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

— I should say, vulgarize — voudouism in New Orleans. 
She would invite the reporters of the press, the mag- 
nates of the police force, the swells of the sporting fra- 
ternity to their public dances and drinking bouts, where 
a snake in a box, a beheaded white rooster and other 
emblems of their religious belief were conspicuously ex- 
posed. These festivals occurred yearly on St. John's 
eve, at some convenient spot not far from the bayou 
which bears that name. But this was a mere device to 
hoodwink the unwary. Her secret conclaves were usu- 
ally held in a retired spot upon the lake shore known as 
the "'figuiers " — once a big orchard, — beyond which she 
had constructed a frame cabin, that she used as a sum- 
mer resort. 

Her house, situated on St. Anne street, between Ram- 
part and Burgundy, is said to be one of the most ancient 
frame residences of the city. It is a rickety concern to- 
day, and is retired from the street. 

She also dealt in charms against malefices, and pre- 
tended to cure many ailments, particularly those pro- 
duced by ^' gris-gris''' and other criminal devices. Such 
was the superstition of our people in her palmy days, 
that her apartments were often thronged with visitors 
from every class and section, in search of aid from her 
supposed supernatural powers. Ladies of high social 
position would frequently pay her high prices for amu- 
lets supposed to bring good luck. Politicians and can- 
didates for office were known to purchase what we 
would call "mascots" today at her .shop of Fortune, 
and sports would wear, attached to their watch chains, 
pieces of bone or wood dug from the graveyard. Some 
of these were curiously and fantastically carved. Is it 
needless to say that she was an arrant fraud? Yet, 
money poured into her purse. 



THE VOUDOUS. 99 

A fellow by the name of Dr. Alexander succeeded 
her ill this profession of duper3^ He had for sometime 
a large following in the suburbs, but frequent arrests by 
the police hampered his business. He died a few years 
ago, I believe. 

The prince of the occult science, styling himself Don 
Pedro is now the recognized head of the sect, and his 
adepts, I am told, are legion. The police have, how- 
ever, nearly broken up his business, having compelled 
him to go in hiding. He is heard of sometimes through 
the medium of the press, as he advertises occasionally 
as a healing medium. As long as charlatans are not put 
down by the strong arm of the law, there will ever be a 
host of believers. 

The organization of the voudous, as an organization, 
has been suppressed in a great measure by the efforts of 
our municipal authorities. I remember a raid, made by 
Captain Mazerat, of the Third District, some forty years 
ago, which was accompanied by circumstances of such 
a startling nature, as to give the association a deadly 
blow. Many of the old residents remember the " Rack- 
et Green," along the St. Bernard Canal, where thous- 
ands were in the habit of congregating to witness the 
battles of the "Bayous" with the "lyaVilles," in the 
games of Raqnettcs. The field was an immense one, ex- 
tending from Claiborne as far back as Broad. In the 
centre stood an old pottery, apparently untenanted. 
While the game was progressing, the Captain aided by 
a strong corps, advanced unobserved upon the dilapida- 
ted tenement and arrested the whole concern — Voudous 
and paraphernalia — while engaged in one of the wildest 
orgies which the most prurient imagination can con- 
ceive. The women, having cast off their every day 
apparel, had put on white camisoles — called today 
"mother hubbards" — and were all found clad in this 



106 NE\V ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

uniform attire. Blacks and whites were circling round 
promiscuously, writhing in muscular contractions, pant- 
ing, raving and frothing at the mouth. But the most 
degrading and infamous feature of this scene was the 
presence of a very large number of ladies (?), moving in 
the highest walks of society, rich and hitherto supposed 
respectable, that were caught in the drag net. Two of 
them, through consideration for the feelings of their rel- 
atives and connections, so unexpectedly brought to 
shame, were permitted to escape, while the husband of a 
third, unable to survive the disgrace of his wife, deliber- 
ately took his life on the following day. These facts are 
beyond controversy, and the scandal, attested by thous- 
ands, was made the subject of town gossip for many a 
year. 

Besides the potent incantations which they claim the 
power to perform, it is an admitted fact that they use 
philters, drugs and poisonous substances in their wicked 
operations. These they call ' ' gris-gris. ' ' One of the fa- 
vorite ingredients used is a decoction of the '' concombre 
sonibi,'' — ^Jamestown weed — which they mix in coffee. 
It is the plant from which that rank toxicant, known as 
stramonium, is extracted. They use dirt taken from 
graveyards. They employ certain powders, which they 
scatter around such places as they suppose their victims 
are apt to touch with their hands or feet, and the effect 
of these powders is to produce inflammation, pain and 
fever. Kven feather pillows are impregnated with dele- 
terious substances, in the guise of poisoned crosses, cof- 
fins, images etc., but how they contrive to introduce 
these objects therein without detection, is as yet an un- 
solved mystery. Perhaps, some one may answer : "By 
the black servants, of course." But I and hundreds of 
others have heard of various well authenticated case^ in 
amilies where no menials were engaged, and every 



THE VOUDOUS. lOI 

household duty was performed by the inmates them- 
selves. I am no believer in supernaturalism, but I am 
free to confess that the mystery appears at this present 
day as far from explanation as ever. 

The tribe of Voudons, as a tribe or a class, deserves to 
be stamped out of existence, and with the advances of 
our superior civilization it is to be hoped that the hour 
is not far distant when the last vestige of its degrading 
and dangerous influence will be forever wiped out of 
existence. 



CHAPTER VII. 



THE OLD PARI5H PRISON. 



EPISODES IN ITS EVENTFUL HISTORY. 



No edifice in this city recalls more tragical or dramat- 
ic reminiscences than those evoked by the scenes once 
enacted within the gloomy walls and narrow cells of the 
old Parish Prison. There, is to be found the criminal 
calendar of our metropolis, including, outside of revolt- 
ing executions, sad scenes of suicide and murder com- 
mitted inside of its iron bars. To detail them at length 
would require volumes. To depict them with the pen 
of a Zola would provoke disgust and nausea. In this 
path I am not disposed to tread. I shall content mj-self 
with merely reviewing some old-time recollections con- 
nected with its sixty year old existence. Like the 
Tower of London, the Tombs of New York or the Con- 
ciergerie of Paris, the Parish Prison of New Orleans 
is rich in legendary lore, in unique traditions and in 
startling facts. 

The foundations of this quaint old structure were 
originally laid in 1832, during Mayor Prieur's adminis- 
tration, upon a parallelogram bounded by Marais, 
Treme, St. Anne and Orleans streets. The grounds, 
measuring 240 feet front by 131 feet in depth, were 



THE OLD PARISH PRISON. I03 

acquired for the sum of fifteen thousand dollars by the 
city from a thrift}' and enterprising Frenchman, named 
Olivier Blineau, on which a soap factor}- had been erect- 
ed, tliat had become a common nuisance to the neigh- 
borhood. It was situated on the inner edge of the 
swamp, called marai's, about the period that the latter 
was being slowly reclaimed and made fit for human 
habitation. The buildings in the vicinity were few and 
far between, of a poor and lowly character. In the win- 
ter season, the crack of the rifle or the report of the 
double barreled shot gun was not an unusual sound, as 
the enterprising sportsman slowly plodded his way 
through the dangerous morass, in search of game. It 
was not only a favorite retreat for runawa}^ negroes, but 
for truant school boys, of whom, I may say, viagna 
pars fiii. The woods were full of senelles, gomme copale 
and a variety of wild berries, not to speak of water 
moccasins, rattle snakes and even alligators. 

The jail was not completed until the year 1834. 

The first prison built in New Orleans was under the 
Spanish regime, and w^as a fortress in itself, if one may 
judge from its solid construction and massive walls. It 
was situated on St. Peter street, and extended from 
Chartres to within ninet}- feet of Roj-al street, at which 
point there was a guardhouse. It included not only 
the offices occupied by the present Recorder, but the 
rooms and space now constituting the Supreme Court. 

With the constant increase of our population, the 
building was found insufficient to hold with safety and 
hygienic comfort the unfortunate inmates. The germs 
of pestilence and disease were rife among them. Es- 
capes were matters of daily occurrence, for it wa» not 
only a place of detention for criminals awaiting trial, 
but a penitentiary or penal institution for convicts of 
every class. It was only after State prisoners were or- 



I04 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

dered to be transferred to Baton Rouge, that relief was 
afforded to every parish, which, under the previous 
system, had been compelled to maintain at its own ex- 
pense the charges of keeping its own malefactors. Un- 
der these circumstances, Denis Prieur, a man of energy 
and action, then Mayor of the city of New Orleans, in- 
duced the City Council to appropriate a sufficient 
amount of money for the construction, outside of the 
limits of the " carre de la ville,'' of a spacious structure 
adequate to the needs of the community. Thus it is, 
that the stately and gloomy old pile that now looms up 
on Orleans street, with one of its old turrets truncated 
and shivered by a stroke of lightning, was erected in one 
of the dreariest spots then known to our people. 

As far as my memory serves me, the first dramatic 
incident connected with this venerable edifice was the 
tragic death of Pauline, the negress, who expiated her 
crime upon the gallows. The offense, with which she 
was charged, was the beating and maltreating of her 
half-demented mistress, a white woman, which, under 
the provisions of the " Black Code," was made punish- 
able by death. The poor, unfortunate wretch died peni- 
tent, reciting her beads to the very last moment, ac- 
knowledging the justice of her panishment, and dieting 
b}^ her meek demeanor the sympathies of the gathered 
throng. It was the first public execution of a woman 
that our people had ever witnessed, and, the unusual 
scene had attracted thousands. She was hurled into 
eternity from a trap overhanging the low wall, which 
encloses the passage that divides the prison from the old 
Parish Jail, now the Fourth Precinct Police Station. 

From the same spot and from a similar platform, I 
recall the execution (so horrid in its details, that the 
impression will never fade from my memory,) of Delille 
and Adam, charged with the murder of a slave. The 



THE OLD PARISH PRISON. 105 

date of this shocking occurrence, so far as my memory 
serves me, was in the 3'ear 1852. The history of their 
crime reads more like a romance than stern reality, and 
so revolting are the incidents connected with the affair 
that the heart shudders at their contemplation. 

Delille and Adam, with both of whom I was acquaint- 
ed, were painters by profession, and had been engaged 
by a grocer, named Chevillon, who resided at the cor- 
ner of Craps and Clouet streets, to paint the exterior as 
well as the interior of his house. While thus engaged, 
they found no difficulty in making themselves thorough- 
ly acquainted with the habits of the inmates, and what, 
to them was far more important, in locating the spot 
where their wealth was hoarded. They noticed that it 
was the invarible habit of the old lady (the grocer's 
wife), to attend Vespers every Sunday afternoon, and 
to leave the house and store in charge of her colored 
ser\'ant, while the husband, during her short absence, 
would cross over to Clouet street to a neighbor's resi- 
dence, where, seated upon the gallery and in full view 
of the front of his establishment, he would spend an hour 
or two in pleasant chat. To plan the robbery was, 
therefore, no difficult matter. Taking Delille's young- 
er brother as a confederate, they proceeded to con- 
summate their enterprise. Concealing themselves be- 
hind the corner, they espied the aged lady repairing 
to her church, not far distant, and saw old man Chevil- 
lon walking off leisurely toward his opposite neighbor. 
The coast was clear. Leaving his brother to watch on 
the outside, Delille, who besides the ferocity possessed 
the lithesomeness and suppleness of a panther, leaped 
over, unobserved, the picket fence in the rear, opened 
the gate and admitted his accomplice. They had no 
time to lose. They hurried to the armoir, possessed 
themselves of the bag which, besides a considerable sum 



I06 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

of mone}- in gold and silver, contained trinkets of value, 
and were about effecting their escape, when they v^ere 
unexpectedl}' confronted by the appearance of the faith- 
ful servant, who barred their passage. With the rapidity 
of lightning and with muttered curses, Delille grappled 
the woman around the body, while Adam, throwing 
back the unfortunate victim's head coolly severed her 
neck from ear to ear'. A stream of blood gushed forth from 
the severed artery and stained Adam's shirt front. Here, 
a peculiar whistle from the street warned them to hurry,, 
and they sallied forth, unseen and unsuspected. The 
treasure was committed to the care of the ^^ounger De- 
lille, who went off in one direction, while the murderoiis 
pair hastily proceeded up town, towards the cathedral. 
When they arrived there, they stopped awhile at the 
police station, and engaged in conversation with the 
commanding ofhcer. They several times referred to the 
time of day b}^ the Cathedral clock. This was done, no 
doubt, with the view of establishing possibly an alibi, 
should any arrest ensue. 

The police were soon apprised of the fact. Capt. 
Eugene Mazerat, a born detective, within whose baili- 
wick the crime had been committed, got scent of the af- 
fair and was soon on the trail with the eagerness of a 
sleuth-hound. He knew the Delille's intimately. He 
had been their neighbor for a number of years, and as 
soon as he learned the fact that young Delille had been 
seen prowling in the vicinity of the grocery, and know- 
ing his previous shady reputation, he arrested him 
without delay. When he learned further that the elder 
Delille had been employed by Couvillon, the whole 
truth flashed upon his mind, and he, too, soon followed 
his brother. Adam was the last apprehended. 

Mazerat had the culprits, but the proof was wanting. 
There was the rub. The fertile brain of the eallant of- 



THE OLD PARISH PRISON. 107 

ficer soon furnished an expedient. A rough sailor. 
apparently in the last stages of intoxication, was tlinist 
into Adam's cell. Gathering himself up as well as he 
could, the helpless inebriate fell in a heap, as it were, in 
a corner, where, soon after, his stertorous breathing and 
unearthly snores proclaimed him oblivious of all sur- 
rounding objects. Nothing unusual occurred in the cell 
until about midnight, when a pebble flung at the grated 
window announced the fact that a friend was on the 
watch outside. Such proved the fact. A hurried in- 
terview ensued, and was still progressing when a cry of 
anguish escaped the lips of the pretended drunkard, who 
in piteous tones began to crave for water. It was the 
signal agreed upon. The spy had played his part to 
the life. 

A few seconds had not elapsed before the emissary 
was in the Captain's grasp, and, frightened to death, he 
made an abject confession. That night, Mazerat had re- 
covered the .stolen jewelry and money, and had every 
accomplice in safe custody. The sequel may be briefly 
summarized. They confessed their crime and w-ere 
sentenced to die. 

Their execution took place, as I have stated before, 
on the same .spot where Pauline had forfeited her life. 
Thousands, if not tens of thousands, attracted by a mor- 
bid curiosity not unusiu^l at such spectacles, attended. It 
was a pleasant summer day, and no disturbance in the at- 
mosphere gave token of the terrific storm that was soon 
to burst forth. During the entire period of their confine- 
ment in the Parish Prison, their conduct had offered a 
strange contrast. Adam was reticent and maintained a 
stoic attitude. He was a Frenchman b}^ birth, slow in 
speech, slow in gait, but endowed with herculean 
strength. Delille, on the other hand, was small in 
stature, restless, talkative and an inveterate grumbler, 



I08 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Passionately fond of drink, he would, while under its 
influence, indulge in dire threats against his enemies, of 
whom every prison ofhcial, he thought, was one, thus 
making life disagreeable at times to those who were in- 
trusted with his keeping. He was a Creole of St. 
Domingo. 

When led to the scaffold, in the presence of the large- 
est assemblage that had ever gathered in the neighbor- 
hood of the Treme Market, each betrayed the salient 
points of his nature. They had both spurned the con- 
solations of the church. Adam was pale, collected, and 
evidently bracing himself for a supreme effort. He re- 
fused to make a speech, when offered the privilege. He 
would occasionally turn round to his fellow convict, 
and admonish him to be quiet. Delille, on the other 
hand, was apparently intoxicated. It was evident that 
he was afraid to die, and had indulged too liberally in 
the ardent spirits that had been furnished him to steady 
his nerves and tremulous frame. He was more than 
voluble. At times he ranted, like a stage-struck mani- 
ac. His eyes were livid with fury, and he called upon 
the French Consul and the home Government to 
avenge his death and to exact reparation from the Unit- 
ed States. 

At this point, the hangman appeared upon the scene. 
The prisoners were soon fettered, blindfolded and the 
noose adjusted around their necks. A sharp click rang 
out upon the air, and the trap fell. It was mid-da}'. 
The chimes of the Cathedral bells were just announcing 
the hour of twelve, when a sheet of lightning — a sheet 
so blinding, so dazzling, so stunning as to partake of the 
unnatural — illuminated the scene and rent the skies 
in twain. Nothing so weirdly, so terrificall}' grand, 
so indicative of the power of an offended Deity had 
ever before been heard. Simultaneously with this 



THE OLD PARISH PRISON. I09 

dreaded cataclysm of warring elements, a torrent of 
rain descended from the heavens and compelled most 
of the obstinate curiosity mongers to seek shelter un- 
der the eaves of the neighboring houses, and under 
the covering of the Market. Meanwhile, the two 
dangling bodies had disengaged themselves from the 
ropes, and were seen falling to the pavement below. 
A cry of horror broke forth from the crowd. The surg- 
ing mass, eager to relieve the criminals, beat in vain 
against the police cordon that encircled the gallows. 
Adam lay insensible. Delille's right arm was fractured 
above the wrist, the same arm, it was said by a by- 
stander, that had once struck a mother in the face. He 
was crawling away on his hands and feet. 

The sheriffs at once hurried the doomed men through 
the Orleans street entrance into the reception room. 
The Sheriff was perplexed. He knew of no precedent 
that governed the case. The mob outside were growing 
excited and were clamoring for a reprieve, there being a 
great many who honestly believed that it was unlawful 
to hang them a second time. At this juncture, the 
Governor was appealed to for instructions, and pending 
the arrival of an answer, another singular affair occurr- 
ed. As Adam and Delille, it was found, had been 
stunned into a state of insensibility, a dispute arose bet- 
ween the City Physician and the Coroner as to the ad- 
visability of restoring them to life by bleeding. Al- 
though one of them protested, the operation was per- 
formed. Immediately thereafter came an order from the 
Executive to proceed with the sentence. Limp and 
pallid, the two men were bodily carried upon the plat- 
form, in the midst of the tempestuous rain fall. Com- 
miseration, was depicted upon every countenance. The 
fierce mood of the populace had given way to pity. 
Again was the fatal knot adjusted around their necks. 



no NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Again was the click of the executioner's ax heard. 
Again was the trap seen to 3'ield under its own weight, 
and the victims were suspended in mid-air. The con- 
tortions of their limbs and the heaving of their chests 
indicated death b)^ suffocation. In the efforts occasion- 
ed by these muscular contractions their veins swelled 
and distended, and, bursting from the bandages which 
had compressed them, ejected copious streams of blood 
over their light-colored clothes. The blood, thoroughly 
diluted by the drenching rain, gradually spread over 
their vestments, and imparted to them a crimson hue. 
Not unlike two ghastly spectres, images of Milton's 
wildest conceptions, that haunt men's memories through 
a lifetime, .stood out in bold relief, clearly limned against 
the frowning skies, the dangling, writhing forms of the 
murderers. From this heart-sickening scene men avert- 
ed their eyes in disgust, and women fainted. The 
strongest minded men, not excepting even the stern 
ministers of the law, lost their self-possession. It was a 
sight, once seen, never to be forgotten. 

This horrid execution shocked the conscience of the 
community by reason of its demoralizing effects. The 
I^egislature was appealed to for a change in the law, and 
public hanging became henceforth a thing of the past. 

Another memorable event that occurred within the 
walls of the grim old dungeon was the suicide or, rather 
as I am led to believe, the felonious poisoning of An- 
TOTNE Cambre, convicted of murder, on the eve of the 
day set for his death. This tragedy occurred during the 
bloody Saturnalia of crimes, known as "Know-Nothing" 
times. He was a resident and native of this city. He 
belonged to an old and highly respectable family, and, 
though imperfectly educated, had succeeded in obtain- 
ing several responsible positions. He was a bitter and 



THE OLD PARISH PRISON. Ill 

uncompromising- hater of Loco-focoism, and his aversion 
to foreigners was very pronounced. Hence, upon the 
disruption of the Whig party, he espoused with ardor 
and bigotry the cause of native Americanism, and to- 
gether with the Guerins, the lyockwoods, the Legetts, 
the Johnsons and the Duprats of the period, became one 
of the leaders of the crime-accursed " Red Warriors." 

At the time of his arrest, he was one of the commis- 
saries of the notorious " Louisiana Ball Room," one of 
the numerous dens of iniquity which once infested the 
Third Municipality, where debauchery, gambling and 
intoxication held high carnival. To regulate the tough 
and dangerous element that usually thronged this noted 
den required a man of unflinching courage, and Cambre 
proved himself equal to the task. But his unfortunate 
fondness for liquor not infrequently led him into troub- 
le, and as the supply was never stinted there, it is need- 
less to say that he made a frequent abuse of it. With 
this preface, I shall now proceed to relate the history of 
his crime. 

It was about 4 o'clock in the morning, after the ball 
with its gambling hells had closed, that Cambre, in a 
semi-inebriated condition, left the place and repaired 
downtown toward his home. The morning was just 
breaking, and the street lamps were being put out. On 
his way, he happened to stumble against the ladder of a 
lamp lighter, who was just in the act of extinguishing a 
light. Hurt by the sudden blow, he cursed the inno- 
cent offender and a war of words ensued. Enraged by 
this altercation, he hurriedly left the scene in search of 
a weapon. In the meanwhile, the lamp lighter had 
gone off about his business. Cambre returned .soon af- 
ter, and hurrying to the corner of lyouisa and Greatmen 
streets, saw another lamp lighter approaching him with 
a ladder, whom he mistook at once for his assailant. 



112 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Acting upon this suspicion, without a word of premoni- 
tion, he deliberately placed his pistol to the poor Ger- 
man's breast and shot him through the heart. It was a 
clear case of mistaken identity, but it was a clear case of 
brutal and wanton murder. 

Cambre was arrested and immured within the Parish 
Prison. All the influences, which the powerful secret 
association with which he was connected could com- 
mand, were brought to bear in his behalf, but every 
effort proved futile. He was furnished with able coun- 
sel, renowned both for lore and eloquence. But the facts 
were too stubborn, and could be neither palliated nor 
explained. Under the administration of justice dispens- 
ed by such a firm man as Judge Robertson, whom hired 
bullies could not intimidate, the result could not long be 
doubtful, and the doom of Cambre was sealed. 

The verdict was a crushing blow. Still he had hopes. 
He could not realize the fact that the thousands of 
oathbound brothers, leagued together with him for 
mutual protection, would ever abandon him to his 
fate. He looked to the Supreme Court for relief. That 
tribunal decided against him. His eyes were now 
turned toward the Executive. But Governor Wickliffe 
was inflexible. The Hercules that had strangled the 
hydra of Know-Nothingism in Louisiana two years be- 
fore, lent an obdurate ear to every pleading for life. 
Society demanded a fearful example. 

Cambre was afraid to die. Friends flocked to the 
condemned cell in which he was confined, and proffered 
poison. They urged upon him, inasmuch as his execu- 
tion was inevitable, the necessit}^ of self-destruction, as 
the only means of rescuing his family from disgrace. 
But this he flatly refused to do, as he still had hopes 
of the Governor's favorable interposition. 

On the day preceding that fixed for his execution, he 



,/^fc»»^:!S 




m 




THE OLD PARISH PRI.SON. 113 

was found dead in his dungeon, and here hirks a mystery, 
which, like many other mysteries connected with the 
now celebrated penal institution during that eventful 
period of its administration, has never been satisfactori- 
ly solved. I refer to the ''causa mortis.'' Was it the 
effect of nature, or of suicide, or of preconcerted action 
on the part of his friends ? 

It was generally rumored at the time, that he had suc- 
cumbed to an attack of malarial fever, but the sudden- 
ness of the demise excluded the hypothesis, and hence 
the assertion was not believed. The autopsy revealed 
the existence of poison in the stomach and intestines. 
Hence, the question, "by whom administered?" was 
frequently asked. The trepidation displayed by him 
during the last days of his life, and his deep-rooted 
aversion to the crime of fclo de se, set at naught the 
theory of suicide. Who, then , had conveyed the poison ? 
The following is the story related to me by an old and 
faithful officer of the Parish Prison, and, I believe it to 
be truthful in ever>^ essential particular. 

Who has not heard of Marie Laveau, the whilom 
Queen of the Voudous and infamous bawd, who, blend- 
ing African mysteries and superstitions with the worship 
of the Blessed Virgin, posed for so many years as a 
character of importance, when, in very truth, she was 
naught else but an arrant and consummate impostor? 
It was usual in those days, and the custom still pre- 
vails, to allow prisoners about to suffer death to receive 
the last consolations of religion, and, if a Catholic, to 
erect an altar for the celebration of mass in the chapel. 
This altar was always placed in the charge of a female, 
and Marie Laveau, who, from her previous acquaint- 
ance and intimacy with Cambre, was thought to be a 
proper person, was selected for the purpose. She had, 
therefore, ready access at all times to Cambre's cell, and 



114 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

would cheer him for hours with her sprightly talk. As 
the time for his execution was fast approaching — it was 
on the eve, I believe — Marie approached him, and in 
her usual Creole dialect said : 

" Ti ni02in, avant to vioiiri, si to dois mo2iri demain, dis 
vioin fa to oiile mange. Ma fe toi bon dine.'" (My 
young one, before you die, if you have to die to-morrow, 
tell me what you would like to eat. I'll make you a 
good dinner. 

At this proposal Cambre, it is said, mournfully shook 
his head. 

" J/a fe toi gombo fili comme jamais to mange dans to 
la vie,'' said the temptress. (I'll make you a gombo 
file such as you have never eaten in your whole life. ) 

These were prophetic words ! Cambre assented, and a 
few hours thereafter was writhing in the agonies of death. 

Such is the story related to me man}^ j-ears ago, and I 
give it for what it is worth Many are the secrets of the 
Old Parish Prison, and this is one of them. 

The mysterious death of Antoine Cambre brings to 
my mind the suicide of CelESTin Leonard. He was a 
man of color, born free, and a great favorite with the 
people of the Seventh Ward. He had been condemned 
to die on the scaffold by Judge McHenrj^ for killing 
another colored man in an alleged affair of honor. The 
facts elicited on the trial of the cause do not appear to 
have been very clearly established, and the benefit of the 
doubt, I fear, was cast against him. I have a slight rec- 
ollection of the facts, the affair having occurred some 
forty years ago. 

It seems that his adversary had forced a quarrel 
upon him, the result of which was an agreement to fight 
a duel on the following morning with fowling pieces, 
both being professional hunters. A place was selected 



THE OLD PARISH PRISON. II 5 

in the rear of the fishermen's village on the Bayou St. 
John, near the lake shore. On reaching the ground, 
the quarrel was renewed, and Leonard, heedless of all 
previous arrangements, rushed upon his adversary with 
the frenzy of a mad bull and slew him. It was evi- 
dent that he had been laboring under the influence of 
liquor and anger combined. Having dispatched his 
enemy, he leaped over the intervening hedges and hur- 
riedly made his way to the city, closely pursued by the 
dead man's friends. His arrest immediately followed. 
He was defended by Cyprien Dufour, Esq. , and the 
writer, who was just entering the practice of the law ; 
and, notwithstanding the ingenuity, tact and fervid elo- 
quence of his senior counsel, the jury fouiid him guilty 
of murder. The evidence, if believed, was too strong 
to admit even of mitigating circumstances. 

As one of his counsel, I had become interested in him 
and had occasion to visit him at times in his solitary 
cell. I always found him penitent, polite and docile. 
" I am not afraid to die," he would frequently say, " for 
I have already faced death without a quiver. But un- 
der circumstances so full of shame as these, I confess 
that I tremble. Let me confide to j^ou a secret ; it is one 
which eats like a canker into my heart. It is this. I 
have no children, but, when I am gone awa3^ I shall 
leave behind me a child, a young girl, whose godfather I 
am, and whom I love wath passionate tenderness. Now, 
to think that as she grows up to womanhood, she will be 
pointed at in the streets as the goddaughter of Celestin 
Leonard, le pendu, the man that was hanged for murder, 
and will be made the target for ever>' enemy's sarcasm 
and raillery, is more torture than I can endure. I pray 
God every night to deliver me from this world, and 
should He deny me this boon, well " — here he hysteri- 
cally grasped me by the arm, — "well, remember I slial] 



Il6 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

never die by the hangman's hand. " Such was the look ol 
despair and resolution that accompanied these last words 
that I became convinced that he had revolved in his 
mind a settled plan of self-destruction. 

As the days flew by, and the time set for his execu- 
tion was fast approaching, no change in his demeanor 
attracted attention. Always cheerful and communica- 
tive, though not loquacious, to visitors, a gloomy, 
despondent cloud would overhang his visage when left 
alone. Brooding is the most graphic expression I can 
find to describe his mental condition. 

One morning, just as dawn was breaking vipon the 
yawning and sleepy city, one of the wardens of the jail, 
in making one of his early rounds, was astounded at 
the sight of a pool of coagulated blood on the flagging 
of the court-yard, just immediately under the eaves of 
the condemned cells. Astounded at this ghastly find, 
the officials were soon scurryi ig through the hall in the 
direction of the convict's room. There the inanimate, 
nude and bloodless corpse of poor Leonard was seen 
stretched out upon a mattress on the floor, with arms 
and thighs firmly compressed with thongs, and long 
gashes across the brachial and femoral arteries. He 
had bled hims«jlf to death. It must have come as a 
relief to him, for a sweet smile was still playing upon 
his lips. 

Now, how shall we qualify this act? Heroism, Duty, 
Dementia or Crime? God, who reads the hearts and 
motives of man, alone can tell. 

Celestin was the son of a white man, named Antonio, 
who, for mau}^ years, occupied the humble post of Town 
crier, an office which supplied the place of the special 
advertising columns of the modern press. Accompanied 
b}^ a boy beating a drum, he would stop at every street 
corner, and make known to the people the escape of a 



THE OLD PARISH PRISON. H? 

runaway slave, the loss of a child, of a pocket-book or 
a stray mule, or the finding of some object of value 
These functions originated in the period of the Spanish 
occupation, when, even the edicts of the magistrates 
were proclaimed by beat of drum. 

One of the narrowest escapes from the gallows that I 
have heard related was that of a slave, named Laiste 
sentenced to be publicly hanged at the time that Capt. 
Jos. Gros was the captain of the Parish Prison. The 
crime with which he was charged was striking a white 
person, and drawing blood therefrom, an offense which, 
under the provisions of the Black Code, was made pun- 
ishable with death. He was tried under that law by a 
Justice of the Peace and six slaveholders, and was to 
have been executed from the very spot on which Paul- 
ine and Adam and Delille had expiated their crimes 
on 'the 25th of April, 1862. Every prepamtion had 
been made for carrying out the mandate of the law. 
The scaffold had been erected in public on this occasion, 
as was the custom when slaves were to die^ The execu- 
tioner was awaiting orders in the sheriff s ofhce, and 
the officers themselves were anxiously ^^Pf f^S/^^.^ 
summons to proceed with their disagreeable duty. Just 
at that moment the cannon ot the Federal fleet, that 
had just forced the passage of the forts, was heard re- 
verberating through space, the drums began beating to 
arms, the military were marching away in their hurried 
exit, the torch was being applied to the millions of 
dollars' worth of produce on the levee, and the Confed- 
erate States government, as far as New Orleans was 
concerned, had become a thing of the past. 

" Bofill," said Capt. Gros to his chief deputy, what 
shall we do? Must we hang that nigger?" 

" Han- be blanked !" was the prompt reply. Where 
Is now our authority?" And thus was the problem 
solved. 



Il8 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

A few days after, Caliste was set free by the provost 
marshal. 

Caliste, now an old man, is frequently seen passing 
along Burgundy street on his way to work. Since his 
miraculous escape, he has had, I am told, two boys 
whom, in commemoration of the event, in rei perpetnam 
tnemoriam, as it were, he has christened " Farragut " 
and " Ben Butler." I will not vouch for the story, but 
" si non i vero, e befi trovato.^'' 

L,ater on, in the course of time, comes the recollection 
of the dramatic incidents that attended the deaths of 
Pedro Abril and Vicente Bayona, two Spaniards, con- 
victed of the murder and robbery of a Malay cook. The 
crime was a horrid one, evincing premeditation and 
cruelty. To secure the sum of forty dollars, they had 
hacked their unoffending victim to pieces, and then 
flung his ghastly body into the river. They never man- 
ifested the least sign of repentance for their dastardly 
deed, and received their sentence of death with a smile 
of defiance. While in the condemned cell they were 
very insolent to visitors, particularly to those attracted 
thither by curiosity, but toward their keepers they were 
generally obedient and submissive. 

The Spanish Consul, aided by several Spanish mer- 
chants, made every effort in their behalf, with a view of 
securing a commutation of their sentence, but, owing to 
the temporary absence of Gov. Warmoth from the State, 
lyieut. Gov. Dunn refused to interfere. His reply to 
the committee that waited upon him at his office in the 
Mechanics' Institute was characteristic: "Were I a 
white man, I would consider myself free to act, but as I 
am a negro, no end of abuse will be thrown upon me. 
The Governor has left the State, I believe, for St. Louis, 
to throw this responsibility upon me. I will not assume 



Yhe; old parish prtsoM. li^ 

it." With this firm and decided answer, the committee 
took their leave. 

On the eve of their execution, I was requested b}- the 
consul to visit them and to convey them a message. I 
found them cheerful, and ready to die. They were 
both communicative, particularly Vicente Bayona, who 
was small in stature and very talkative. He was one of 
the most restless men I ever saw, constantly rolling 
cigarette after cigarette, and puffing away at the fra- 
grant weed. Pedro Abril, on the other hand, was 
phlegmatic and spoke to the purpose. It was evident 
that they both possessed undoubted courage, although 
manifested in different ways. They complained bitterly, 
not of the severity, but of the partial and corrupt ad- 
ministration of justice in New Orleans. Money, they 
claimed, was the lever which had overturned law and 
decency in our courts, for juries were mercenary insti- 
tutions. 

" Had we had rich and influential friends, we would 
not be in the strait in which we find ourselves. Just 
look," said Ba3'ona, "to that red-handed murderer 
who was acquitted some da3\s ago, not because he was 
innocent, but because he was the officer of a bank, had 
wealthy connections and bought the jury with ready 
cash. And you call this American justice ? It is true 
we are poor, but to-morrow we shall show these accursed 
Americanos how Spaniards die." In this rambling, 
disconnected and nervous way did Bayona continue his 
harangue, sandwiching each sentence with a whiff from 
his cigarette. 

On the following day they were led to the scaffold 
within the flagged court-yard. The condemned cell, as 
well as the narrow gallery in its front, was crowded 
with oflficials, members of the press and a few privileged 



I20 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

visitors, while the unfortunate actors in that day's 
drama were busily attending to the operation of the 
toilet. They were neatly attired in immaculate linen 
and white pants. Stepping out of his dungeon, Bayona 
gazed intently through the bars at the buzzing, laughing 
and somewhat disorderly crowd in the yard below, and 
his eyes flashed with anger, and his lips curled with 
scorn. 

" The cowards," he cried out in Spanish, " the low 
curs, they come to gloat over our blood, but we shall 
show them what we are," and, with a look of supreme 
contempt, he deliberately and repeatedly spat upon 
their upturned faces. Abril went up to him with dig- 
nity and began to expo.stulate, but his urgent admoni- 
tions, '' qiicdate qiiieto'''' (keep quiet) fell upon heedless 
ears. All the curses, English and Spanish, that he had 
ever learned, and of these he seemed to possess an 
abundant fund, he excitedly flung at their heads, in 
tones that thundered through the echoing corridors. 

When they were placed upon the fatal platform, their 
demeanor underwent no change. When Deputy Sheriff 
James Houston approached to bid them good-by, 
Abril accepted the proffered hand, but Bayona angrily 
refused. 

"Me no she!: 'an wid you; you no fren'." Then 
turning to a warden, " Bofill, gibby me cigarillo.'" 

Gazing wildly at the immense multitude: " Sanaba- 
biches," he yelled out, '' canallas de Americanos, cov^- 
ards, dogs, may God curse 3'OU as you deserve." In 
this .strain he continued, until the trap was sprung and 
his agony began. His last word was a blasphemy. 
Abril, on the contrary, faced death with the cynicism of 
a Stoic. The holy priest, who stood by his side, found 
his heart steeled against every religious belief. No In- 
dian, ever led to the blazing fagots, confronted fate 



THE OLD PARISH PRISON. 121 

with such a serene countenance. His only care seemed 
to be directed to the restraining of the angry and undig- 
nified behavior of his confederate in crime. 

Their remains, on the demand of responsible parties, 
were placed in neat coffins and conveyed, not to the 
Potter's Field, but to Pepe Llulla's cemetery, where 
they were privately buried in the ground. 

Such was the termination of one of the most impres- 
sive events ever recorded in the annals of the Parish 
Prison. 

So many and varied are the reminiscences that occur 
to my mind that I can not omit a reference to the 
records of Bertin and Capdeville, those two daring and 
expert burglars who, for many years, had baffied the in- 
genuity of ou whole detective force and laughed all 
their efforts to scorn. They were masters in their craft. 
No lock or safe, however secure, had ever resisted their 
skill, and for daring, coolness and murderous courage, 
they were undoubtedly unsurpassed. Capdeville, hav- 
ing betrayed his partner, was permitted to go free and 
was subsequently killed in St. Louis. Bertin, after un- 
dergoing imprisonment for many months in the Parish 
Prison, was finally sent to the Penitentiary to expiate 
his numberless crimes. He is still there, I believe, un- 
der a second sentence. 

One of th- boldest and best matured plans ever exe- 
cuted by this essentially wicked man was the one 
whereby the store of Rochereau, the banker, was entered 
in the night-time. The affair created a wide-spread 
sensation. In that case, ex-Chief Justice Bermudez 
appeared for the prosecution, as associate counsel with 
the writer. It was his maiden effort at the criminal bar, 
and his pure diction, coupled with his varied and 
thorough knowledge of the intricacies of law, deeply 



t2i NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

impressed the court and contributed not a little to the 
conviction of the culprits. The money, bonds and jew- 
elry deposited in the coffers of the Rochereaus, who 
were the trustees for a large class of French non-resi- 
dents, approximated in value, as far as my memory now 
serves me, to nearly two hundred thousand dollars, and 
with the exception of a large number of bonds that were 
discovered in the hands of a lawyer, as he was in the 
very act of assorting them and of passing upon their 
commercial value, the bulk of the treasure was never 
recovered. The lawyer was arrested as an accessory 
after the fact, but was subsequently released from cus- 
tody. He had been a few years before a District 
Attorney. 

My first recollection of Paul Bertin was at the time 
when he was employed with the late Mr. Forget, the 
successor of Galpin, at his fashionable restaurant on 
Royal street, near Customhouse. He was the butler of 
the establishment, and was considered a good connois- 
seur in wines. His address was genial, polite and pleas- 
ant, and no one would have then suspected that, under 
such a gentle exterior, lurked the venom of a serpent 
and the spirit of a demon. 

The first charge that brought him to the attention of 
the police was in connection with the robbery of a re- 
.spectable old citizen, named Menendez, who kept a bar- 
room opposite the French Opera House. There was 
absolutely no direct evidence against him and, there- 
fore, his previous good character served him in good 
stead. The District Attorney refused to prosecute him, 
but Bertin, insisting on his legal right to an acquittal 
by jur)^ trial, was persistent in his demand, and posed 
as a martyr in the e}'es of his friends, who really be- 
lieved him innocent. After events showed that he was 
undoubtedly guilty. 



The OtD PARISH PRISON. 1 23 

A few months after this incident, Forget's establish- 
ment went into insolvency, and Bertin was appointed a 
sheriff's keeper. As such, he lived and slept on the 
premises. Adjoining, was the cigar store of Fernandez 
& Villa. On a Monday morning, these merchants, 
on repairing to their place of business, were astounded 
by the discovery that their safe had been blown open 
during the night-time and rifled of its valuable contents, 
amounting to .several thousand dollars. An entrance 
had been effected through a hole cut in the partition 
wall, sufficiently large to admit of a person's body. Ber- 
tin was, of course, suspected of the crime, but, for want 
of evidence, he was again released. Bertin subse- 
quently confessed his guilt. 

Some months later, another daring burglary was 
committed at the corner of Elysian Fields, directly 
opposite the head of the late Port Market. This time 
it was a coffee house that he and his confederates had 
invaded. The proprietor was the banker of the princi- 
pal butchers, and always kept their money locked in a 
rear room. It is affirmed that, while they were in the 
act of operating upon the iron chest, a night watchman, 
attracted by the noise, stopped before one of the doors 
to listen. One of the "pals" began to betray some 
.trepidation, whereupon Bertin, placing the muzzle of 
his revolver to the man's head, threatened him with 
instant death. The work done, they secured the plun- 
der and made their escape without detection. Fortune 
again favored the criminal, who, as usual, succeeded in 
freeing himself from the meshes of the law and of the 
detectives. 

Such is the outline of one of the most dangerous out- 
laws that ever infested this city. 

Before proceeding further with this retrospect of the 



124 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

various episodes that have illustrated in the past the 
character of this celebrated penal institution, a few 
words in relation to its internal police and discipline 
may not be inappropriate. 

As soon as a criminal has received the sentence of 
death, no liiatter whether a suspensive appeal has been 
taken or not, he is at once segregated from the body of 
the prisoners at large, and is immediately transferred to 
one of the condemned cells. Of these there are four : 
Nos. I and 2, on the third galler}% and Nos. 3 and 4, on 
the second. All these overlook the spacious court-yard 
below. These rooms, which so many never leave until 
the final death march to the gallows is ordered, measure 
about ten by twelve feet, the walls being covered with 
rude drawings, inscriptions, expressive of the feelings 
or bent of mind of the forlorn wretches who once 
tenanted them. The prisoner is allowed no knife or 
fork. His meat is previously cut up into small pieces 
by an attendant. He must eat with a spoon only. He 
is permitted no furniture save a mattress on the bare 
floor, a mosquito bar, a pillow and necessary bed 
clothes. During the day his door is left open and, as 
he is permitted access to the gallery in front, he is en- 
abled to take some exercise and to hold converse at 
times with the prisoners in the yard. He partakes of 
the same fare furnished at the officers' table. At sun- 
down he is locked up for the night. 

As soon as the Governor has signed and transmitted 
the death warrant, the prisoner is placed under stricter 
surveillance. The eye of his keeper never leaves him. 
He is frequently searched. Every object calculated to 
effect self-destruction, either by poison, strangulation or 
any other mode of violence, is removed. No visitor is 
admitted to his quarters, save in the presence of a trusted 



THE OLD PARISH PRISON. 1 25 

warden. Such is the discipline enforced under what is 
known as the " death watch." 

On the eve of his execution the convict is attended 
by the members of the society of St. Vincent de Paul, 
by the Sisters of Mercy and by a priest or minister of 
the Gospel. In one of the apartments fronting Orleans 
.street, formerly known as the " department for fraudu- 
lent debtors," is to be found the " Chapel," where a 
temporary altar has been erected, and it is within that 
improvised temple of God that he spends his last night 
on earth in meditation, prayer and even sleep. All his 
proper wants are gratified. Dr. Deschamps, it is said, 
is the only prisoner who ever refused to enter the por- 
tals of that curious little place of prayer, or to converse 
with the holy sisters, or to accept the least ministrations 
of religion. He was an unbeliever to the last. As he 
was being led to the fatal platform, he reconsidered, 
however, his previous determination, and held, in cell 
No. 8, a protracted interview with the Nuns; but this 
action, it is uncharitably asserted, was due solely to his 
desire to prolong life, in the hope that some unexpected 
contingency might come to his relief. 

After leaving the chapel in the morning, and receiv- 
ing the sacraments or rites of his own church, the 
prisoner is again led back to his cell, where, after par- 
taking of breakfast, he proceeds to his toilet. This is a 
ceremony which consumes a little time. A number of 
persons, usually friends and members of the press, gather 
around him and receive his last words. He is always 
furnished with new and decent clothes. When the 
time has arrived, he is conducted toward the gallows, 
through the gallery leading in the direction of St. Ann 
street, and is halted at the above referred cell, No. 8, by 
the hangman, who there takes him in charge. His 
arms are pinioned. The death-warrant is then read tQ 



126 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

him by the Sheriff, who shakes his hand and bids him 
"God speed." The distance from that end of the gal- 
lery to the gallows is about three feet, and over the 
chasm a gangway is thrown, and, as soon as the crimi- 
nal reaches this temporary stage, the rope is placed 
around his neck. This is done to prevent any attempt tc 
hurl himself into space. Stepping on the platform, which 
is suspended in mid-air by means of ropes connected 
with the hangman's room, the prisoner is led to a seat, 
his feet are tightly bound, the noose carefully adjusted 
and the cap drawn over his face. Immediately the exe- 
cutioner hastens back to his room, in the rear. A 
short, sharp click is heard — the work of the axe that has 
severed the cords — the platform gives way under its own 
weight, a dull thud appals the heart of the spectator, 
and a quivering body is seen dangling in the air, writh- 
ing and drawing itself up in the midst of the most sicken- 
ing contortions. Society is avenged, and the hangman 
has done his work well. Twenty minutes afterward 
the body is partially lowered to permit the physician's 
examination. The pulsations of the heart are stilled. 
The body is placed upon the ground. The crowd dis- 
perses. An autopsy is held. The bloody, mangled 
carcass is thrust into a cypress coffin. The Potter's 
Field receives it, and thus closes the last act of the terri- 
ble tragedy. 

The post or stanchion to which the ropes of the 
"trap," as the gallows is technically called, are at- 
tached, bears traces of twenty three indentations, this 
l)eing the number of human sacrifices offered to the 
majesty of the law. Putty and paint have obliterated 
those that had previously existed. 

The hangman, disguised under the folds of a black 
domino and a hideous mask, is a loathing object to look 
at, Unlike Monsieur Deibler, the executioner of France, 



THE OLD PARISH PRISON. 1 27 

who always on such occasions makes his appearance in 
public in kid gloves and a costume de rigueur, the 
uncouth form of our hangman lends such a character of 
grotesqueness to these dramatic scenes as to bewilder 
the reason of an onlooker. In former years there was 
no ofhcial bourrcau. Sheriffs were frequently non- 
plussed in the performance of this revolting duty, and 
were at times compelled to solicit the pardon of such 
minor criminals as were willing, for that consideration, 
to undertake the job. Hence, the operation was often 
performed in a bungling manner. But now, nous avons 
chaiige tout cela. We now have a semi-ofhcial one. 
His name, though known to me, it is needless to give. 
He was once connected with the commissary depart- 
ment of the Parish Prison, under the administration of 
ex-Police Commissioner Thomas Agnew — one, by the 
way, of the most honest, progressive and laborious offi- 
cers the city ever possessed — and, since 1889, when 
Taylor — the name escapes me — undertook the task of 
hanging a negro in the town of Plaquemine, he has 
adhered to the "profession." His operations are not 
only confined to the city, but extend throughout the 
State. I am credibly informed that he has already 
executed more than twenty of the law's proscribed. 

The "trap " is carefully laid aside in cell No. 8, in 
the negroes' quarters, until brought out again for ser- 
vice. It was borrowed from the prison in 1862 by the 
military authorities, and served to hurl into eternity the 
unfortunate Mumford from the portico of the United 
States Mint. 

With these preliminary remarks, I proceed with my 
narrative. 

The case of Dr. Dhschamps is still fresh in the 
jninds of our people. His crimes, his lame defence, his 



128 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

wayward conduct under prison discipline, his bungling 
attempts at suicide, his terrible atonement upon the gal- 
lows, and the mysterious disappearance of the judge 
who tried him, have invested this remarkable case with 
a degree of interest and mystery that reflects sombre 
hues upon the walls of his dreary dungeon. 

To thoroughly understand this memorable case, the 
previous history of the man, as well as his peculiar idio- 
syncrasies, should have been conscientiously studied. In 
doing so, the question would have occurred : Was he a 
criminal, or was he insane? I unhesitatingly believe 
that he was both. His nature was essentially depraved. 
His instincts were bestial. Though his reasoning facul- 
ties were no doubt defective, he certainly deserved the 
degrading punishment which he underwent, for offenses 
other than that of which he was found guilty. But he 
was a victim of prejudice. That his conviction on the 
charge of murder was a judicial error, a blot upon the 
administration of criminal justice, a fatal mistake, is an 
opinion to which I have firmly clung, and my reasons 
therefore are very clear. Here are a few facts that 
speak for themselves. 

Deschamps, many years ago, after practicing some 
time in this city, became an itinerant dentist, traveling 
particularly in the parishes of lyafourche and Terre- 
bonne. He was far from being an educated man. 
Apart from some aptness and skill in the mechanical 
branch of his profession and a general dabbling in the 
principles of animal magnetism, in the mysteries of 
which he claimed to l)e a firm believer, his knowledge 
of chemistry and medicine was limited and insignificant 
In one of his rambles upon the islets and ke^'s that in- 
tersect the gulf waters in those regions, once the habita- 
tions and hiding places of Lafitte's buccaneering fol- 
lowers, it happened that some old coins and trinkets 



THE OLD PARISH PRISON. 1 29 

were discovered, deeply buried iu the sand. This 
"find" was sufficient to excite his cupidity and thirst 
for gold, and from that moment he became a monoma- 
niac. He had no confidence in divining rods, but, in the 
science of clairvoyance or hypnotism, he believed he 
had discovered a solution to the problem of exhuming, 
like a second Monte Christo, the hidden treasures of the 
Baratarians. To attain this end, he imagined that all 
that was required was the instrumentality of a fully 
developed " subject," a slave to his will and mesmeric 
control. 

Filled with this idea, he returned to New Orleans and 
became accidentally acquainted with his beautiful vic- 
tim. To her father he communicated his plans, who, 
led captive by the seductive arguments of the fanatic, 
intrusted his elder daughter to his almost parental au- 
thority, unsuspicious of any danger to his child's honor 
or personal safety. Under the training of the scoundrel 
the poor girl was frequently put to sleep, and, while in 
an unconscious state, would, it is said, obey his every 
bidding * * *, Here, I must draw the curtain, for the 
post mortem examination of her body disclosed infamies 
at which the heart rebels, and which alone would have 
warranted a sentence of death under our criminal 
statutes. 

But it is a fact that she died from an undue adminis- 
tration of chloroform, and from no other cause. She 
was given the subtle fluid in the presence of her 
younger sister. This circumstance alone tends to show 
there was no premeditation, no attempt at concealment 
in the commission of the act. The charge, therefore, 
should have been, under these circumstances, no other 
than that of manslaughter. Whoever reads the sworn 
statement of the sister, as recorded in her examination 
at the Coroner's inquest, with an unprejudiced eye, will 



tmivo ;»t Uvis ovmu lusivM\. Iv>i I soo Uuicn» iclatovl tho 
turthor tact th;U as svvm as tho HwIvm ixwh.'ovl that tho 
ohiUl had s\KV«n\hovl tv^ tho iuthionoo vM tho vliu^^, ho 
thiWY hintsoU in dospaii vipott his kttoos attvl oxohtimoil ; 
JA'v /V.v« / .lA^'f /VV:. .* (h,\ii fV fUif. {My t^ovl ' 
Mv (.u^r What havo I douo,-") Thou intutovliatolv tol 
hnvs his vK>nMo attompt at snioivlo. This patt ot tho 
ovivloucf — tho v>tily vlitoot ovivlovioo. hv tho \va\ . avl 
tluocvl — it haiivUovl w itii vloxtoutv. wvniUl ha\o pun od a 
oottiploto bar tv> tho avvusatioii v>t wiltul and ilohhoialo 
utiuvlor. Hut tho ploa v^t insanity was iiitotjootod, or. 
t^Uhor, was mado tho solo basis vW liis dotonso. auvl. ot 
vH>in><o. was ptvpoily disoiovUtovl. as his \\\'\\\d was \\o\ sv> 
ilisoasovl as to iuoapaoitatohitu tivuw vlistiMv;uishi»\>; nv;ht 
tn>m wvvnij;, Itiastimoh as tho unauthvMi.ovl avhnmistia 
liouol vhugs is tnailo pvittisliahlo l\v tho OiMuinoii as woll 
as tho stattitvMy law. .uul its tat.U rosuUs hooomo a hi);h 
Iv ponal otYcnso. I o.ui nvn ov>nooivo wh,\t othot xotdu^t 
ovHiUl havo hoctt rondotx\l, oxoopt vmio ol t»ia\»slau);l»ioi. 
Moi\s>vov, a poi>\Mi whv\so intont is to nun dot .mot hoi 
will not likely uso an .m.oslhotio. whon tho ph.nni.i- 
co]Hvia Inrnishos snoh a varioty ot vlo.idh pv^isv>ns. 

lUit tho vpiostion itiay hoaskod. what was thoohUiu>- 
tonu used tor? Tho .uiswot is not a ditVionlt ono. 

Spooialists who havo troatovl thosnhjoot ol hvpnousm, 
and sonvo ot thoin aro mon ot tho hi,v;host orndition ho\\\ 
in C^orniany ativl h'ranoo. uwMiunond in thoit wotks tlio 
nso ot this danv;oi\nis tlnid as an aivl tv> tho dovolop- 
niont ot latoTit mai^tiotio toroos. Its .union, thoy assort, 
hastons tho prodnotion ot tho ti.moo stalo. anvl pot tools 
tho oondttion ot tho " snhjoot." r»o this as it ni.iv (tor 
I candidly oonto.ss itiy ij^nvn.tnoo ot tho piinoiplos oi 
this wiMidortnl ntystot V v^t ttatnroV tho thooty is tuvno 
thatt ptohahlo that Posohatitps. in hisattompts lo oxp.tnd 
iho porcoptivc and oooiilt taciiltios ot his oontidini; 



'; HI. <il.h I'Ai'CH i-i' I ■.'>::. 13^ 

piij/il, with tli<* vifw o( rlH'rnnJiiing ihr<)\i'^h her aid 
th<' i-x:ii I lo< ;ilili<-'H wh'-n-iji hty oonrc-alcl tinO^M richcH, 
wa*^ nier«-ly hiif iiiihkiHiilly pnUiiix int/> i/raciict: what 
h'- lj;i'l b'<-ii Mif'liijj', III sold'- Wookh- 

SiK h hah always Ix.-'-n my h<-li<rf about this celebrated 
affair, whi' h i^uvc rine to ho much comni'tut, and ho lit 
tie Hcientific dlHcuHhion, 

I)«'M hamph was one of the most dlHagreeabie j^riviuern 
Hint th«- i';iri-,h l'riv>n ever held, ile wan of a moroHC, 
Iftiiil ;.ij<l <li' t;.ioM;il djK|)OHition, Nothiii}< pleased 
)iim. Jf<- found finilt with everybody— with hih'-ounhel, 
his keejj«-rs, 1h«- m'-ml^ers of the press, and eveti with 
th.- fr \v fii' ii'l ,, v.li'/ were atteniptiuK i" ansiht him in 
Ills liours of lti;il. Jf«- grumbled at his fare, growled at 
the stri<tn<-ss of Hm- watrh kept over him, ajid <juarreled 
with hi-, U-Wuw |,riv;nerH, aH, with shuffling and unsteady 
gait, he p:ir«-d tli«- narrow limits of his '//.lUcry. 

SikIi is the f r)(i( iirn-nt testimony of the offi< ials then 
111 < h;it;',<- of til.- iir.titiiti'iii, ;ui'l I have every reason to 
b<liev<- tliat, wli'-ii he was finally htirled into eternity, 
th«-y f'^nnd tli<-niselves relieved of a terrible incubus. 

In :i<l<iitioii io t.lic cxeculioiih and att'-mpts at suicide, 
hr,iii'- Mic-zJul, that once occurred within those 
;iii' I'll! w;tll ,, oil'- singular homi<ride took j^lace then-in, 
allct an interv.il of forty years, as far as I can remem- 
ber, I refer to the killing of f /r-orge D-no, oim- of the 
keepers, by another ke.prr. Hisde;ith isaiKAher of the 
mysteries <A the )iri,oii. 'lliis haj^pened a few years 
ago, A 'jiiarrel, a Mufflcf, a shot, a victim, a ple-a of 
self defense— this is about all that the jjiiblir: in general 
were ;iJlowed to leiini. I'oor Deno ! with all his faults 
Ik- <]<•/•,•/< <| ;i better f;ite. 

I pa»H over the < a:-,es <A I'olydore, of J'oid, of J.iudsay 



132 NKW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

and of so many others, which present highly dramatic 
features, but the narrow limits of a chapter necessarily 
confine me to mere outlines. But I can not pretermit 
the opportunity of incidentally reverting to the massacre 
of the Italians, now a world-wide known occurrence. 
We are all familiar with the history of the " Sicilian 
Vespers," and, in this instance, it was a repetition of 
the same scenes, except on a more limited scale. Hence, 
the uprising of the people on that eventful morning may 
not inaptly be styled the "Sicilian Matins." 

This was the first time when a mob ever succeeded in 
forcing an entrance into the recesses of the prison. An 
attempt had been once made, many years ago, at the 
time when young Reynolds committed suicide within 
its walls, and the firm and courageous attitude of 
Holland, the sheriff, backed by a handful of determined 
enemies, overcame the belligerent multitude and quelled 
the disturbance. 

As is well known, ingress had been obtained through 
the battered door of the Captain's room, fronting on the 
Treme street side. A few seconds after the occurrence, 
I was permitted to enter and visit the scene. Its ghast- 
liness is indescribable. The victims were stretched out 
in various positions, terror being the invariable expres- 
sion depicted upon their features. Proceeding up stairs, 
I saw one of the victims lying on the floor, with what 
seemed to me like an Indian war club firml}' grasped in 
his hand. It was the formidable weapon with which 
he had, but a few moments before, attempted to batter 
down the fastenings of a door. A few paces from him, 
was another sufferer gasping in the agonies of death. 
He was utterly unconscious. 

The history of the Parish Prison would be incomplete 
without any reference to the annex, formerly known as 



THE OLD PARISH PRISON. 133 

the " Negro Police Jail " and " Insane Asylum." The 
former, situated at the corner of Marais and Orleans 
streets, was used principally for the detention and 
punishment of slaves, under the regulations provided 
by the " Black Code." Flogging at the whipping-post, 
wearing an iron collar and dragging a ponderous ball 
and chain, while at work upon the public streets — such 
were the usual modes of castigatiou employed. 

Lunatics were lodged in the apartments of the second 
story, and the unfortunates were huddled together in 
most uncomfortable quarters. They were, for a number 
of 3'ears, under the skilful treatment of Dr. Delerj', a 
much regretted physician, who had made a special 
study of the subject of insanity. But the condition of 
these outcasts was a sad commentary upon the nig- 
gardly conduct of our city government, and furnished 
matter for severe diatribes at the hands of the editorial 
fraternit}^ In fact, if my memory does not deceive me, 
one of the correspondents of the London Times pub- 
lished in that journal, about the beginning of the Civil 
War, one of the most damning and terrible arraignments 
ever penned against New Orleans, for its neglect to im- 
prove the hygienic necessities required by this unhappj^ 
and irresponsible class of people. 

I here close my narrative of the history,' the traditions 
and principal events connected with the venerable edi- 
fice on Orleans street, which is about to be converted 
into a plant for a new system of city drainage. But as 
long as its weather-beaten walls stand in their massive 
grimness, and its grated windows continue to frown 
upon the surrounding world, so long will the memories 
that cluster around them live in the recollections of 
"ye " old inhabitants. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



NEW ORLEANS UNDER DENI5 PRIEUR. 



In the earh^ part of 1828, Mr. Roffignac, being about 
to undertake a voyage to Europe, concluded to vacate 
the office of Mayor, which for eight long years he had 
honorably filled. He accordingly forwarded his resigna- 
tion to the Council, which was accepted with regret. 
An election was thereupon ordered, and the 7th day of 
April selected for the same. 

Parties at that time were nearly balanced. The mem- 
bers of the Press, forgetful of those amenities due to 
their profession were unstinted in their denunciations of 
one another, the Jackson partisans being championed 
by the redoubtable Peter K. Wagner, on the one hand, 
and the Adams Administration faction bj^ the' equally 
hot-headed John Gibson of the Argus. These two 
were in every respect representative men of party fury, 
and were, in some measure, imitated by writers of lesser 
note. As these people were always armed and prepared 
for trouble, the wonder is that personal rencounters were 
not of more frequent occurrence. Their vocabulary 
teemed with such expressions as "rogue," "coward," 
"scribbler," "turncoat," and "liar," for it seemed 
as if no other epithets or forms of speech were so ap- 
propriate for provocation or insult. 

134 



NEW ORLEANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. 1 35 

It was in this condition of the public mind that the 
name of Denis Prieur, who, during the outgoing admin- 
istration had creditably performed the duties of Cit}' 
Recorder, an office second in dignity only to that of 
Mayor, was brought out by the Jacksonites as their 
standard-bearer. 

From this election, it may be said, dates the organiza- 
tion of the Democratic party, under that political ap- 
pellation, in the State of lyouisiana. 

Mr. Prieur was a man of chivalrous instincts — a noble 
type of his race. Popular with all classes of society, 
brave to a fault, charitable to the needy, and accessible 
to all, it is no wonder he became a formidable candi. 
date. 

His competitor in the race was another honored 
Creole, A. Peychaud, whose lineal descendants are yet 
living among us. But, unfortunately for his chances of 
success, his claims happened to be urged by a small 
coterie of Adam's men — a "ring," we call them now — 
of whom the members of the party were tiring. Hence, 
many people were found "kicking in the traces," and 
refusing their support. Political conventions and "reg- 
ular " nominations were unknown quantities in the .sci- 
ence of electioneering. The usual practice was for every 
man looking for a local office to make the race upon his 
own individual merits, and partisan feeling was often 
laid aside in the general scramble. Hence, the one who 
had most friends was invariably the winner, and became, 
in fact, the choice of the community. 

As was generally expected, the poll resulted in favor 
of Prieur, but not without a respectable opposition, the 
vote standing 888 for Prieur and 531 for Peychaud. 
The Jackson partisans made a great ado over this victory, 
claiming it as a crushing defeat to the administration 
forces, which was not really the case. The gladsome 



136 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

news was heralded by them throughout the North and 
West, as the precursor of assured success in the ap- 
proaching campaign, for the country was again being 
convulsed in the throes of a new Presidential election. 

Upon the very threshold of his administration, a dif- 
ficulty arose in the City Council, which came very near- 
ly stopping the machinery of the municipal government. 
It seems that, among the members elected, Mr. William 
Harper, duly returned to represent the 6th Ward, offer- 
ed himself in the Council Chamber to take his seat as 
one of the Aldermen. The recognition of this claim 
was at once opposed by some members on the ground that, 
inasmuch as Mr. Harper was holding an office under the 
Federal administration, his case came within the pur- 
view of the clause of the State Constitution forbidding 
any person from holding more than one office of profit 
or trust at the same time. The objection being sustain- 
ed, Mr. Harper was denied his seat. This was the first 
skirmish between the Jacksonites and the Administration 
people in the Council. 

The discomfited Federalist determined to apply to 
the law for redress, and, with that object in view, 
applied for a writ of mandamus against the Mayor and 
Council, in Judge lyewis' court, which, after argument, 
was duly granted. The judgment authorized the rela- 
tor to assume his seat as Alderman of said ward, and 
required the Council to recognize him in that official 
character. 

But the Council were not to be balked in their settled 
purpo.se. Assuming the ground that the court was 
divested of all jurisdiction, inasmuch as the Council 
were made by law the exclusive judges of the qualifica- 
tions of their own members, they locked horns with 
the civil tribunal, and refused obedience. 



NSW ORI^EANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. I37 

The judge met this act of insubordination by ordering 
the sheriff to sequester the revenues of the corporation. 

As might have been expected, this judicial action 
brought matters to a crisis, and on the ist of May, 1828, 
the outlook assumed a menacing aspect. The difficulty 
was one which admitted of no delay. Hence, an appeal 
was forthwith taken to the Supreme Court, which three 
weeks afterward, opined in favor of the city. It held 
that the law, giving to city courts the right of deciding 
on the eligibility of members, was unconstitutional ; that 
the article of the Code of Practice interdicting courts of 
justice from passing upon the validity of elections was 
unconstitutional; that the sheriff was bound to inquire 
into the legality of an order of court addressed to him, 
and was responsible for the execution of illegal orders ; 
that the mandamns, ordering the City Council to admit 
Mr. Harper to his seat, as well as the writ of distringas, 
were both ultra vires, and, finally, that the sheriff was 
guilty of trespass in executing the latter writ. 

Thus, under the cover of legal authority, did the 
Jacksonites succeed in ridding themselves of one of 
their most obnoxious opponents ! 

Another unexpected difhculty presented itself. In 
the hurry and confusion incident to the great fire, which 
had completely consumed the State House, toward the 
close of Roffignac's administration, the Legislature and 
Governor were guilty of a most extraordinary oversight, 
the former in passing and the latter in appioving a law 
entitled "An Act further amending several articles of 
the Civil Code and Code of Practice." By the 25th 
section of that enactment, the whole State was thrown 
into confusion, inasmuch as it repealed all acts anterior 
to the promulgation of the New Civil Code. Conse- 
quently, the charters of every gorporation wer? an- 



138 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

nulled, our courts of justice became inoperative, and no 
other laws remained in force, except such as were con- 
tained in the New Civil Code, the Code of Practice and 
the statutes enacted since 1824. The evil was, how- 
ever, remedied, by a now convocation of the General 
Assembly. 

A few months before the induction of Prieur into 
office, a disastrous fire had occurred at the corner of 
Toulouse and Levee streets, destroying, among other 
buildings of value, the State House — la Mai son du Goiiv- 
crncmcut — with many of its historical contents. There 
is no doubt that, at that period, the city was infested by 
a band of organized incendiaries, and the origin of this 
conflagration was naturally attributed to them, for, 
three days alter llie event, some citizens arrested two oi 
them in the act of applying the torch to several build- 
ings in the faubourgs back of town. Lynching was an 
unknown factor in those days. Labor in the streets, 
with ball and chain — exposure at the pillor3' on the pub- 
lic sqtiare — the lash applied on the bare back — these 
were the usual pttnitive measttres. 

In the earlj' days of his administration, the demon of 
crime seems to have been set loose upon the thorotighly 
affrighted community. Notwithstanding the vigilance 
of the city guard, incendiarism continued to brandish 
its hellish torch, and robberies of a daring character be- 
came almost nightly occurrences. 

To check these growing evils, the Council adopted a 
resolution requiring the Mayor to organize regtilar pa- 
trols for each and every square, thus superseding the 
necessity of maintaining a force of armed men, who had 
long been in the habit of stopping and even insulting- 
belated and respectable citizens without the shadow of 
any excuse. 

The fire department, if the system which then existed 



NEW ORLEANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. 139 

can be dignified by such a name, was somewhat im- 
proved by the restrictions thrown around the personnel 
of the company of colored firemen, to whom the cor- 
poration, in its prodigality, had awarded the sum of 
three hundred dollars for meritorious services rendered 
at the State House fire. vSome of them were, no doubt, 
honest and deserving, but many, and, perhaps, the 
greater number, were perfectly worthless. It was not 
an uncommon occurrence to see them, during and after 
fires, stretched about the streets, dead drunk. 

The following items, selected at random from a large 
number of others in the local periodicals of the day, are 
illustrative of the spirit of lawlessness then rampant in 
our poorly guarded city. 

"Robberies. — The lock of the Postofiice door, on 
Bienville street, was forced open on vSaturday night 
(May 19, 1828) and the Postoffice entered and robbed 
by thieves, who carried off one letter containing some 
fifty or sixty dollars, visited another, and took some 
small change from the front compartment, leaving ten 
or fifteen dollars in the back of the drawer. A sack 
containing empty mail bags was opened, l)ut nothing 
else in the olTice appeared to have been touched. The 
thieves very kindly left an axe behind in pay for what 
they took." 
And again : 

"The office of the Register of Conveyances was 
broken open on vSaturday night and robbed of a small 
amount of money, the papers thrown about the ofiice, 
and some of them probably carried off. The same night, 
one or two stores were broken open and robbed, and at- 
tempts made to get into others. As it was a cool, pleas- 
ant night, and but few mosquitoes buzzing about, it i55 



I40 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

probable our city guard, so long oppressed with the suf- 
focating heat of July, had seized upon the agreeable 
change of the atmosphere to take a comforiable nap." 
And again : 

"Robbery. — On Tuesday night last (April 24, 1828) 
the store of Messrs. Robinson & Booth, on Chartres 
street, was broken open, and a large quantity of valua- 
ble goods stolen. The villains, with the greatest impu- 
dence, made their entry in the rear, boring a hole 
through it sufficiently large to admit an arm and undo the 
fastenings. George Buchanan and Louis Goodly were 
arrested. They were apprehended on a flatboat lying 
in the river. A large part of the goods stolen was re- 
covered. In their possession, about fifty keys of all 
sorts and sizes were found, a fine steel saw, and a num- 
ber of arms of all descriptions. George Buchanan is 
supposed to be the man who lately robbed the Mobile 
Bank. Louis Goodly has turned State's evidence, and 
given away other accomplices." 

And so on, ad infinitum, were I disposed to chronicle 
every instance of daily recurring crime. When we take 
into consideration the fact that the whole population of 
New Orleans did not greatly exceed 40,000 inhabitants, 
including slaves and colored denizens, and that the 
mercantile portion of the community was mainly con- 
fined to the space embraced from the river to Bourbon, 
and from Customhouse street to St. Philip, it becomes 
self-evident that the proportion of criminal offences was 
abnormal. This sad condition of society was mainly 
due to the same causes that had given Rofiignac's ad- 
ministration so much reason for discontent and tribula 
tion. These were licensed gambling, and its concomi- 
tant horde of villainous black-legs from every part of 
the country. Prieur's predecessor, notwithstanding 



NEW ORI.BANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. I4I 

honest and energetic efforts, had failed completely to 
cauterize the ulcerous sore, and as long as the gaming 
evil was tolerated — nay, legalized by State authority — 
measures more coercive than those within his reach 
were alone adequate to ward off the impending menace 
to society. To this end the Mayor devoted his energies 
with varying success, during the whole term of his 
office. 

In 1828, Gen, Jackson, then a candidate for the 
Presidency, was formally invited by the General As- 
sembly to visit New Orleans as the guest of Ivouisiana. 
In the resolutions adopted by that body, all reference or 
allusion to political issues was carefully avoided, but 
terms of gratitude for his noble defence of the country, 
on the banks of Counselor and ex-Alderman Rodriguez' 
old canal, were kindly expressed. This course had been 
adopted in imitation of similar action taken by other 
States, and was merely intended as a compliment, with- 
out political significance or other ulterior design. But 
different was the construction placed upon the matter 
by the hot-headed partisans of President Adams. They 
had serious misgivings as to the ultimate object. They 
looked askance at the Trojan horse. They determined, 
therefore, to act on the defensive and with proper 
reserve. 

Jackson had accepted the invitation, and in due course 
of time reached the city. He was received by the State 
and municipal authorities with flattering ceremonies. 
He was feted, wined and banqueted, as is usual on such 
occasions. He was paraded through the streets in a car- 
riage of State, drawn by six milk-white steeds, and ac- 
claimed with loud huzzas by the gaping multitudes. 
But hardly had these official manifestations of honor. 



142 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

which lasted several days, ended, than the leading 
politicians of the Democratic party — the lyivingstons, 
the Marignys, the Wagners, the Davezacs, and a hosto* 
admiring friends, took hold of the unsuspecting General, 
and began to hold levees and receptions at their private 
residences, calculated to arouse the ire and jealousy o) 
their opponents. This circumstance proved regrettable 
in every respect ; for the old hero, who had consented tc 
the visit in the expectation only of reviving forgotten 
memories, and of quietly enjoying his corn-cob pipe in 
the company of old-time acquaintances, suddenly found 
himself in an unenviable predicament. He became the 
target of abuse and slander at the hands of the Opposi- 
tion press, particularly of the ArgJis, which began the 
publication of a serial biography of the General's public 
diuA private life, so exaggerated and infamous that the 
wrathy Tennesseean swore by the Eternal that he would 
shake from his feet the dust of a city where, expecting 
to be treated as a guest, he had found insult, ingratitude 
and inhospitality. 

His departure did not seem to have appeased the vin- 
dictive Federalists, for when the bill of expenses was 
presented for payment, it found strong opposition in the 
Legislature, and was only finally settled after much 
haggling and curtailing. To such extremes was party 
spirit then carried ! 

From these reminiscences I shall proceed to describe 
the city, as it then existed. 

The town proper was a parallelogram, about seventy- 
eight arpents in front and fourteen in depth. This is 
to-day the dimension of a moderate sugar plantation. 
Under the regime of Baron Carondelet, and during the 
early part of Governor Claiborne's administration, it 



NEW ORI.EANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. I43 

had been defended from outside attack by a line of 
fortifications and a ditch, the vestiges of which were yet 
visible many years thereafter. The works had been 
dismantled, and the ditches, which had become nur- 
series of disease, had been filled in at the time that 
Denis Prieur assumed the reins of municipal govern- 
ment. In the centre, and directly fronting the river, 
was a public park, or, more properly speaking, a Place 
d'Armes, surrounded by an iron railing erected on a 
granite coping. The enclosure originally consisted of a 
fancy wooden fence, the gates being flanked by imita- 
tions of cannon, cut out or carved from the same ma- 
terial. JThis was the Jackson Square of to-day. A 
triple row of sycamores encircled the grounds, and the 
weeds were allowed to grow rank and tall, except where 
wide swaths had been cut by pedestrians on their way 
to the markets, the church or the public buildings. Im- 
mediately in the rear, occupying the whole space from 
St. Peter to St. Ann, stood the City Hall — the Cabildo 
of the Spaniards — the Court House, once the habitation 
of jolly old monks, and the Cathedral. The two first 
structures retain their original appearance, but the 
Cathedral, the gift of Almonester, was of Gothic archi- 
tecture. Sixty years after its construction, it was dis- 
covered that, notwithstanding the solidity with which 
the edifice had been originally put up, the walls were 
becoming insecure — it was supposed — from the shocks 
of frequent artillery discharges in its vicinity. Large 
fissures had made their appearance on the front and 
sides, and, in consequence, the upper portion was torn 
down, and a new design was suggested by Louis Pilie, 
a city surveyor, and adopted by the wardens. It is a 
fact worthy of note, and known only to a few, that in 
the work of excavation which these repairs required, the 



144 NRW ORI.RANS AS IT WAS. 

inastMis were ecMiipelled to tlisiiiter tlie leiuains ot [\\c 
priests interred at the toot ot the altar ot St. iManeis, 
whenee they were earrieil in wheelbarrows to the eart 
destined to eonvex thetn to the eenielery. Anii>ii_i; these 
relics are the bones ot the sainted friar, Pere Antoine, 
now resting in the " Triests" Tomb," oii Basin street. 
Tlu»se, therefore, and tliere are thonsanils, who repair to 
the Cathedral, and kneel at his snppo.sed erxpt in prayer 
and repentance, are victims of a deceit, which has hccw 
kept .secret ami for whicli there is no excuse. 

The fa(ndt- of the .square — that toward i\xc river — was 
perfectly open, there being no railroads in tho.se times to 
obstruct the view or bree/es from the Mi.ssissippi with 
their unsightly freight depots. Ivach oi the lateral 
streets, St. Peter on the upper and St. Ann on the lower 
sid s, was covered by a block of buildings, built ot 
bricks between posts, uniform in size and construction, 
two stories in height, with small projecting balci>nies. 
These buildings were used as stores, the tamilies of the 
occupants usually living up stairs. They were in a 
great measure used for the sale of tropical fruits, the 
trade being mostly controlled by hardy .Xustiians and 
Selavonians — a thrifty and peaceable race. At the cor- 
ner of St. Ann and Chartres, wasa popular r<i;/<', where, 
besides all the paraphernalia ot a modern bar-room, ci^f- 
tee, chocolate or tea, steaming hot, w> re serveil on small 
tables to customers imnursed in the mysteries of ilomi- 
noes. The name was the C<ift' del Aonilo. Across the 
street was the low-roofeil, Spanish tiled buiUling kej)! 
by Benito Duran, surnameil \'o/icnt<\ where the purest 
Mayorca was always to be IkuI. There were also, here and 
there among these houses, ni«w called the Poiitalba 
Puihlings. the establishment of an ingenious watch 
nuikcr. named Labarre, who manufactured a one-year 




CHURCH OF ST. LOUIS, ^t^-'f. 
As per Plan in C-ty Libra'-^\, 




LATROBE'S WATER WORKS, 18 '3. 



H. C. C. JR. DEL 



NEW ORLEANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. 145 

running clock for the use of the Cathedral tower; a hard- 
ware store, a restaurant, a gunsmith's store, and a bar- 
ber shop; but fruit seemed to be the staple commodity 
in that quarter. 

Along the iron railings, on the opposite side, were to 
be seen booths for the sale of oranges, bananas, ice- 
cream, peanuts, ginger beer i^blere douce), cooled in 
large tubs, and the inevitable estomac mulatre (ginger 
cake), as highly prized by the urchins of that gener- 
ation as they are at present. Lining the river, small 
huts were erected along the water front for the sale of 
oysters by the wholesale or on the half-shell. These es- 
tablishments were well patronized by families and re- 
spectable society, for the luggers engaged in the trade 
were wont to tie to the posts opposite the markets with 
their daily loads of fresh and luscious bivalves. 

On Sunday afternoons, the scene around the square 
was more than picturesque. Greek ice cream vendors 
in tasseled fez; Choctaws reeling drunk in Father 
Adam's costume, a well worn, diaphanous blanket being 
substituted for the historical fig leaf; mulatresses 
decked with gaudy colored tignons; children in holiday 
attire romping over the weeds in innocent glee; specta- 
cled gentlemen, sporting their gold-headed walking 
sticks and dainty gold snuff-boxes; groups of City 
Guards in gala uniforms and with formidable cutlasses; 
fashionable loungers— the dudes of the period— discuss- 
ing the rival claims of Calve or Bamberger, the favorite 
brima donnas of the Opera— all these commingled to- 
gether and in incessant motion, offered the ever varying 
and dissolving views of the kaleidoscope. Without be- 
ing charged as a ''laudator temporis acti,"' I can assure 
my readers that those days were happier far than ours, 
in this particular, at least, that citizens could gather 



146 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

together in social entertainments and exchange the 
amenities of life in peace and amity, free from the intru- 
sion of drunken hoodlums or Workhouse rowdies. 

Not less animated or amusing was the once famous 
French Market, a central point for sight-seers and North- 
ern tourists. Sundays and holidays were the times in 
which she would don, like a pretty coquette, her most 
variegated attire. There, every conceivable language, 
from Choctaw to Greek or Maltese, not to omit our 
sweet, euphonious Creole French, was spoken. A con- 
stant ebb and flow of human streams would often 
obstruct locomotion, and this annoyance, increased by 
the interlocking of baskets, was often a source of merri- 
ment to the visitor. Strange, indeed, were the scenes 
to be witnessed within its gay precincts and around its 
massive pillars. Here Aglae, stately and gracious, with 
her turbaned head and ebony features wreathed in 
smiles, dispensed her steaming coffee to mo ti momi, as 
she patronizingly called her younger visitors, nor was 
the calas tout chaud ever omitted. Here also was to be 
seen the tidy little quadroon, offering her lilliputian 
bouquets of Spanish jessamines, carnations and violets, 
as boiitojiniires for the old beaux, who, before proceeding 
to their usual morning avocations, were in the habit of 
taking a stroll through its crowded walks. Here the 
demure dame, accompanied by her sable-hued domcs- 
Hquc, and the comely damsel, on her way from church, 
usually chaperoned by some elder relative, were wont to 
make la tournie. A trysting place for lovers, many a 
billet doux was furtively exchanged, and many a side 
glance spoke a mysterious language. Many were the 
Indian squaws, squatting on the side pavements and 
vending their wares of ingeniously worked baskets, 
sassafras roots, genuine gombo file and leaves of plan- 



NEW ORLEANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. 1 47 

tain; while the braves of the Nation, a set of dirty and 
inebriated rascals, stood around them, disposed of their 
sarbacanes or blow-guns, with their furze-tipped arrows, 
at a picayune apiece. Nor must I omit to mention the 
politicians of the day. These frequently held their little 
reunions in this market, on Sunday mornings, where 
they discussed the leading topics of the week, laid out 
their little programmes, and, not unlike two celebrated 
Governors, would frequently adjourn to a neighboring 
cafS during the intervals of discussion. 

The city was intersected by seven parallel and twelve 
perpendicular streets, but its suburbs, above and below, 
extended about three miles. Below Esplanade street 
was they^w^^z/r^ Marigny ; above Canal sir Qei, faubourg 
Ste. Marie; and back of Rampart street began ih.& fau- 
bourg Treme. Beyond these named suburbs there were 
others, but the above formed the boundaries proper of the 
corporation. The depth of the habitable territory in the 
rear of New Orleans extended no further than Rue 
Marais (Swamp street), and all the rest, as far back as 
the lake, was what was called la Cypriere, a trackless 
and almost impenetrable morass. 

Old lyCvee, Chartres and Royal, and most of the per- 
pendicular streets, as far as they were intersected by these 
three streets, were considered the commercial and prin- 
cipal portion of the city, and possessed a respectable 
number of elegant brick buildings, some of them three 
stories in height. Of the latter, the oldest one is the 
quaint and old-fashioned structure at the corner of St. 
Peter and Royal streets, once the residence of Dr. Yves 
lyeMonnier, whose monogram is still to be seen on the 
balconies. The late General John ly. I^ewis was wont 
to relate how, while the building was progressing, hun- 
dreds of people would gather at the corner diagonally 



148 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Opposite and predict the failure of the undertaking. 
They expected to see it topple down at every moment, 
grounding their conjectures upon the yielding nature of 
the soil ! 

The same well-informed authority pointed out to the 
writer the building No. 124 Chartres street, near the 
corner of St. Louis, as having been erected by some 
enthusiastic Frenchman as a future residence for Napo- 
leon Bonaparte, then confined at St. Helena, whom they 
had sworn to rescue by a co2ip de main from his prison 
island. Visionary as this scheme may appear to-us at this 
day, the expedition was actually planned, and only fell 
through by the unexpected announcement of the death 
of the martyr-emperor. Of this project there can be no 
doubt. Nicholas Girod, the millionaire and ex-mayor of 
New Orleans, was the furnisher of the required sums, 
and Dominique You, with a select crew of desperate 
Baratarians, was to have been the leader. Of this dar- 
ing officer General Jackson once said, when elated with 
the prowess of the " hellish banditti," "Were I ordered 
to storm the gates of Hell, with Captain Dominick as 
my lieutenant, I would have no misgivings of the re- 
sult.'.' 

On the same side of the street, and at the corner of 
St. lyouis, stood the comfortable and well known resi- 
dence of Mr. Girod, of whom I have spoken. He was 
not only a philanthropist, but a man of character and 
great public spirit, who contributed, while an executive 
officer of our city, in materially aiding Jackson in his 
memorable defence. 

Diagonally opposite was the Donrse or Exchange, kept 
by Maspero and afterward by Hewlett, a great auction 
mart and place of public entertainment, and the fore- 
runner of the St. lyouis Exchange. This was a favorite 



NEW ORLEANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. I49 

resort. It was here that public meetings were usually 
held ; that Jacksou was triumphantly carried after pay- 
ing his fine to Judge Hall's marshal, and that all im- 
portant commercial transactions were carried on. 

The rest of the carre de la ville was made up of small 
frame houses, one story high, some very mean ; and 
Judge Martin, a contemporary, says that the proportion 
of the latter was much greater than in any other city of 
the Union. 

• In addition to the public buildings, fronting the 
square, already mentioned, there were two nunneries, 
the older of which was the Ursulines Convent, occupied 
now as the official residence of Archbishp Janssens. The 
other was established on the space of ground bounded 
by Nuns or Religious street, in the upper part of the city. 

There were also a Presbyterian and an Episcopal 
church. One known as Christ Church was situated at 
the corner of Dauphine and Canal. 

The jail was located on the site of the lower Re- 
corder's Court and Arsenal, until a penitentiary was 
built in Baton Rouge. There, the convicts — les formats 
— were detained and manacled together, white and black 
alike, and were made to labor upon our public streets. 
The practice of forcing white criminals into the chain- 
gang with negroes was continued for several years, but, 
in 1829, Gov. Derbigny put a summmary end to it, for 
causes and under circumstances which form one of the 
most dramatic episodes in the history of Louisiana. The 
action of the executive w^as much commented upon at 
the time, and gave rise to a sharp correspondence 
between Prieur and Derbigny, but the latter, backed by 
law and supreme authority, maintained his fiat, and 
from that moment the system was broken up. 



I50 NltW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

There was a dilapidated concern, called the Custom 
House, at the foot of the river, close to the spot where 
is now situated the Canal street ferry. 

The United States Court then stood in the centre of 
the area now occupied by the Custom House. A 
spacious walk, shaded by a few stunted trees, led to it. 
It was a dingy, two-story brick building, facing Canal 
street, and was demolished in 1848. Alongside of it 
stood a Bethel. On the same side of the street, between 
Royal and Bourbon, was the residence and place of 
business of Judah Touro, the philanthropist, and close 
to it a synagogue, a low structure put up with his own 
funds. In the centre of the road was a canal, which, 
together with Gravier's, a little higher up, on Poydras 
street, was utilized for drainage purposes. 

There were three theatres, one on St. Philip street, 
where the public school of that name is now being con- 
ducted ; another, subsequently the French Opera House, 
was managed by Mr. John Davis, and is now a convent 
on Orleans street, between Roj^al and Bourbon ; and the 
third was the Camp Street Theatre, opposite Natchez 
alley, afterward converted into an armory hall, and 
to-day the site of the hardware stores of Rice & Born. 
To repair to this place of amusement, flatboat gunwales 
or planked sidewalks had been constructed, and lanterns 
had to be used by the belated patrons to avoid falling 
into the bordering ditches. 

There were also three banks, not to speak of several 
offices of discount and deposit. Of the former, the 
Louisiana State Bank was the oldest, being the first 
bank established under the American system, in the 
earl}' portion of the first decade of this century. The 
building is still to be seen on Royal street, between St. 
I^ouis and Conti streets, the initial letters It. S. B. being 



NEW ORLEANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. I5I 

conspicuous on the original projecting balcony. The 
first cashier was Mr. Zacharie (as is attested by the 
epitaph on his honored grave), who resided on the 
premises, in the upper story — a man of wit, humor and 
thorough business habits. His grandchildren still live 
among us, and are justly proud of their ancestry. 

Two orphan asylums provided for the necessitous and 
helpless young unfortunates. 

In the rear of the city, starting from its centre, was a 
basin or port for small schooners ; a canal of about two 
miles in length led from it to Bayou St. John, and thence 
to L^ake Pontchartrain. Another canal, in suburb Mar- 
igny, on Elysian Fields street, afforded also easy com- 
munication with the lakes. It began within a few yards 
of the Mississippi (where Bernard Marigny's grand- 
father had years before put up a saw-mill), and dis- 
charged itself into the Bayou St. John, at a short 
distance from its junction with the Carondelet canal. 
Along the river margin, the levee or bank was twenty 
feet in width, and afforded ample space for walking. 

Another, but a natural, outlet to the sea was Bayou 
Sauvage, which, flowing directly in the rear of the Bre- 
tonne or Indian Market, on the Bayou Road, took its 
course through the Gentilly to Bayou Bienvenu, and 
thence to the Gulf. This water-course was navigable 
for small boats only, and was frequented by hunters and 
men of predatory habits. When too hotly pursued by 
the American authorities, it was claimed that lyafitte 
and his motley crew were wont to bring through its 
sinuous passages their ill-gotten gains to this city. It 
is a well established fact that Daniel Clark was one of 
their merchants and secret agents here, and having his 
bachelor home and depot — at least, one of his depots — 
on the convenient banks of the stream, near the iunc- 



152 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

tioii of Esplanade and Bayou Road streets, no more 
suitable place could have been selected for the illicit 
traffic. This statement rests not only on tradition, but 
is supported by the well known reputation for acquisi- 
tiveness of our first delegate to Congress. 

Our streets were narrow (thirty feet in width), and 
were made purposely so, with a view of furnishing venti- 
lation and shade, while their gutters, whenever the rise 
of the river would permit, were copiously flushed every 
evening by means of sluices ingeniously inserted through 
the levees, not unlike our discarded system of rice 
flumes. Boys used to float tiny boats in the swift cur- 
rent, and to watch their erratic course as they sped away 
toward the swamp, where the turbid waters lost them- 
selves, depositing their fertilizing sands upon the marsh. 
Much of the cypriere behind the town, was thus slowly 
and gradually reclaimed. 

The houses, in general, as I have already said, were 
low frame structures, bricked between posts, briqiietees 
entre poteaux , roofed with shingles, although, in build- 
ings of a more pretentious appearance, bricks were 
used and Spanish tiles substituted, some fiat, others 
convex. Remains of this style of architecture are yet 
to be seen in the Second District. Flat tiles were used 
on terraces, with which several buildings were embel- 
lished after the style of Mexico and Havana, where 
members of the family were in the habit, after sundown, 
of inhaling the cool breezes wafted from the river and 
lake. No house of aristocratic pretensions was without 
its court-yard or patio, the centre of which was orna- 
mented with a fountain and enlivened by tropical 
plants. The main entrance was through a wide gate or 
parte cockere, in the interior of which was kept the cum- 



NEW ORLEANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. 1 53 

bersome family carriage, and beyond, a wide staircase led 
to the upper apartments. The windows, those oi 
Spanish construction, I mean, were very wide and 
alwaj's arc/ted. This was a distinctive feature. They 
opened upon the patio. The sills were covered with 
pots of aromatic plants, chief of which was the fragrant 
rosemary^ which was believed, besides its medicinal 
properties, to possess the virtue of good luck. Few resi- 
dences, therefore, were without their inatas de romero. 
Iron balconies, objects of hygienic necessity in this hot 
climate, were attached to every building more than one 
story high, and became matters not only of comfort, but 
of beauty, with their burnished brass knobs placed at 
short intervals from each other. 

Royal street, between Conti and St. Philip, notwith- 
standing the inroads of time, still retains some well 
preserved specimens of the architectural style of more 
than a century ago. The timber employed for building 
purposes under the Spanish regime, was under the con- 
trol of police regulations, since it was forbidden to fell 
trees except at certain periods of the year and phases oi 
the moon. The wood was, therefore, extremely well 
seasoned and entirely free from decay. As an illustra- 
tion of this fact, I have now in my possession the sec- 
tion of a post, taken from the old country residence of 
Don Bernardo de Galvez, more than one hundred and 
twenty years old, in as perfect a state of preservation as 
when it was first adjusted into its present shape by the 
carpenter's adze. The cement in use was also a subject 
of government supervision, but the secret, like that of 
the Roman cement employed in the construction of the 
Via Appia, is, I fear, unfortunately lost. No Schillinger 
or any other process is comparable to what it was in 
kardness or durability. When, some years ago, a por- 



154 ^EW ORLElANS AS IT WAS. 

tion of the old Cathedral walls was torn down, owing to 
the fissures caused by the depression of the soil, the 
mortar had become so firmly incrusted and blended with 
the brickwork as to have formed a concrete mass, which 
defied the repeated blows of the pick. Granite could 
not have been harder. 

Now, a few words as to the suburbs. There, the 
frame buildings were more modest in appearance, nota- 
bly in the faubourg Marigny. That portion of the city 
extended from Esplanade street to a considerable dis- 
tance below, covering the whole acreage of the old 
Marigny plantation. At the foot of Elysian Fields, just 
where the Morgan Railroad depot is now situated, stood 
a saw-mill, propelled by water power supplied from the 
river. It was a very thriving establishment, the raw 
material being carried from the swamps through a canal, 
running parallel with the present road-bed of the Pont- 
chartrain Railway, and, continuing its course through 
the Metairie ridge, connected its waters with Bayou St. 
John and the lakes by means of the Carondelet canal, 
into which it emptied. It was both deep and wide, 
affording facilities for navigation to sloops and schooners 
of a moderate size. Large rafts were daily hauled 
through by mule power and cordelles, which kept the 
mill busy, besides enhancing the value of the adjacent 
property. This enterprise had originated with Bernard 
Marigny's grandfather in the last quarter of the preced- 
ing century. In 1832 the mill was abandoned. The 
new railroad had killed it. The cavity was then filled 
up as far as Greatmen street, and, by degrees, as high 
as Claiborne street, where its rapidly filling channel is 
yet distinctly to be seen. I remember that, in the days 
of my boyhood, the banks of the sluggish stream, as far 



NEW ORLEANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. I55 

back as the lyUzenberg Hospital, were lined on Sunday- 
mornings by Gascons who, with hound and gun, were 
in the habit of hunting a species of very large bull- 
frogs, named wararons by the French. 

The limits of faubourg Marigny extended originally 
only to Spain street, but in the course of time the thriv- 
ing section had completely absorbed all the lesser sub- 
urbs below and behind it. In the rear it reached a little 
beyond Girod street, the ''''ultima thule''' of civilization. 
The inhabitants consisted chiefly of Europeans of lyatin 
extraction and of Creoles, white and black. People of 
the Saxon or Celtic race were few and far between. 

' ' Rari nantes 171 giirgito vasfo. ' ' 

The frame houses were mostly one-story high and 
small. Within its precincts the nomenclature of streets 
underwent an entire change. Thus, Chartres street, 
which, below St. Peter street, was named Condi, be- 
came, below Esplanade, Moreaii street, in honor of the ex- 
iled general of that name, who had paid New Orleans a 
hasty visit a short time before; Old lycvee, originally "/<? 
Cheniin Public, ' ' was transformed into Victory; Royal into 
Casacalvo; Dauphine into Great men; Burgundy into 
Craps, so-called, tradition says, because the strip of land 
through which it had been opened had been lost by old 
Bernard Marigny at a game of "craps," a game of cards 
then much in vogue; Rampart into Love; St. Claude, 
named after Claude Treme, the founder of the suburb of 
that name, into Goodchildren , and so on. Along the 
lower side of Esplanade some nice residences were 
occasionally to be seen, among others that of Judge 
Canonge, at the corner of Casacalvo, but, as a general 
rule, the buildings, though comfortably built for the 
climate and temperature, were of rude and cheap struct- 
ure. Small flower gardens, teeming with clusters of 



156 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

creeping Spanish jessamines, relieved the monotonous 
aspect of the quartier. Specimens of these old houses 
are still to be seen in a state of decay on Bagatelle, 
Union and St. Anthony streets. 

In that part of New Orleans, style or etiquette was 
unknown, the women being clad in homespun and in- 
diennes, and the matrons, especially the emigrees from 
St. Domingo, sported picturesque tignons, a sort of head- 
gear, consisting of a fancy bandana handkerchief (Ma- 
dras) tied around the upper part of the head — a fashion 
which some old Creoles follow even to this day. Though 
unpretending in dress and appearance, they lived in 
happy unity and commerce, except when, now and then, 
some thoughtless or mischievous gossip (and they were 
not a few) would throw a brand of discord into the com- 
munity. Then women's tongues were set loose, and bits 
of scandal rehearsed, as each took part with the contend- 
ing factions. Apart from these little mishaps, which 
the hand of time would effectually allay, it must be ad- 
mitted they were a cheerful, contented and industrious 
class. Their great luxury was coffee, for the pot was 
everlastingly simmering over the embers of the kitchen 
hearth. This beverage was the first thing offered to a 
visitor. They were frugal also. A plate of gombo file, 
a dish of Jambalaya, of sagamite, a peculiar preparation 
of corn, a chunk of salted meat, flanked by a salad, con- 
stituted their usual day's meal They were the most 
obliging people in the world, and as nurses could not 
be excelled. Whenever a neighbor got sick, or during 
seasons of epidemics, it was a noble sight to see these 
people engaged in their holy ministry, and vying with 
one another in preparing medicinal antidotes, of many 
of which the}^ possessed the secret. They were adepts 
in the knowledge of the curative properties of certain 



NEW ORI.EANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. I57 

herbs and roots. Not a cent would they ever charge or 
accept for services of this nature. Reciprocity of favors 
was the only reward expected. 

I have already spoken about the public park, known 
as the Place d'Annes. Perhaps my readers may wish to 
know something about the once much talked of Congo 
Square. I shall describe it, such as I knew it and 
saw it. 

This piece of ground was, I believe, originally donated 
to the corporation by Claude Treme, out of the immense 
reach of swamp lands he owned just beyond the rear 
limits of the city. In front of it were the remains of the 
old fortifications erected by Carondelet, with their glacis 
and partially filled trenches. Its original name was 
Circus Square, and was so designated from its destina- 
tion and use. For, here it was that the Soior Cayetano 
held high revel with his menagerie of wondrous ani- 
mals, and retinue of clowns and daring horsemen. The 
following Creole doggerel commemorates his popularity : 

" Cest Michie Cayetane, 

Qui sorti la Havane 
Avec so chouals et so macacs ! 

lyC gagnin un homme qui danse dans sac; 
Le gagnin qui danse si ye la main ; 

Li gagnin zant' a choual qui boi' di vin ; 
Le gagnin oussi un zeine zoli mamzelle. 

Qui monte choual sans bride et sans selle ; 
Pou di ton 9a mo pas cababe," etc. 

Its popular name has always been that of Congo 
Square. It was the favorite rendezvous of our African 
slaves on Sunday afternoons. 

There are hundredvS yet living in our midst who 
remember what a gala day for these people was the 
Sabbath, and with what keen sense of relish and an- 



158 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

xiety they awaited its coming. Attired in their pict- 
uresque and holiday dresses, they would gather by 
thousands in the afternoon under the shade of the old 
sycamores, and romp in African revelries to the accom- 
paniment of the tam-tam and jaw-bones. Nothing 
could be more interesting than to see their wild and 
grotesque antics, their mimicry of courtly dames in the 
act of making an obeisance, and the dances peculiar to 
their country. In the midst of the ludicrous contortions 
and gyrations of the Bamboula, not unlike those per- 
formed in the equally famous Voudou dance, they 
would sing with a pleasing though somewhat monot- 
onous rhythm strange Creole songs, the burden of one 
of which, I remember, was: 

'■'■ Danse Calinda, bou doum, bou doum." 

To these festivities negres "" Mericains were not invited. 
There was no affinity between them. Here the noted 
characters of the race were to be seen, from " I,apin " 
the chief of the Raquette players, to " Bras Coupe," the 
Robin Hood of the Swamp. The victor of the " Pape- 
gaud " prize, a tournament in which a wooden rooster, 
decorated with floating ribbons, was the target, was 
here also made the recipient of boisterous applause. 
Everything was tumult, motion and hilarity. Children 
romped over the grass plats, and nurses looked com- 
placently on their gambols, while listening perhaps to 
the honeyed words of some dusky swains. Taken 
altogether, it was a scene well worth visiting and the 
like of which we shall never see again. 

As soon as the shadows of approaching night began to 
deepen, the crowd would slowly disperse, singing in 
chorus : 

''^Bonsoir dance, soleil couched 

White people, from motives of curiosity or fun, invari- 



NEW ORLKANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. 1 59 

ably attended these innocent pastimes. Their presence 
alone was sufficient to repress any serious disorder — an 
occurrence extremely rare. 

Along the edges of the sidewalks and of the iron in- 
closure, rude deal tables were set out, screened from the 
sun by overhanging cotton slips. From their tops long 
streamers fluttered in the breeze. Upon these impro- 
vised counters was to be seen an imposing array of tum- 
blers, pies, roasted peanuts and cakes, the esto?nac 
nmldtre usually predominating among the latter. Nor 
was coffee wanting — pure, fragrant and steaming — such 
as the Creoles alone can prepare. Presiding over these 
rustic booths, colored women dispensed la bier re du pays 
from bottles plunged in buckets of cold water. This 
beverage, a compound of fermented apples, ginger root 
and mellow pines, furnished a palatable substitute for 
ale, and was an object of great demand by the little 
chaps of that generation. It was a source of consider- 
able profit to the marchandes. Li tout fiiii (no more 
left) was not an infrequent reply to requests for more. 
As no strong liquors or wines were allowed to be sold 
on the grounds, and no '* corner grocery" hoodlums 
were allowed to flourish and thrive in those old- 
fashioned and unprogressive days, breaches of the peace 
at places of public reunions were seldom witnessed. 
There was then a pillory and whipping-post, which did 
more toward maintaining good order than all the fines 
administered to-day in our so-called courts of justice. 

Congo Square, as I shall continue to call it, was at 
one time used for public executions also. On its grounds 
several balloon ascensions to6k place, notwithstanding 
that the usual locality for such performances was within 
the yard of the present Archbishop's palace, or an 
empty lot at the corner of Conde and Barracks. Many 



l6o NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

people will reraembei how egregiously duped they were 
by one Petin, an aeronaut, in that very square. But to 
the circus man, with his side show of animals and mon- 
sters, this spot was always an object of preference. It 
was, in every respect, the chosen ground for popular 
exhibitions. 

Speaking of places of amusement, I must not omit 
the Saturday night balls. Some of these were unique 
affairs. One was located in a long, dingy, frame build- 
ing on Conde street, between Maine and St. Philip, 
at the extremity of which a public bathhouse was kept 
open during week days. The following advertisement, 
which I textually copy from one of our local papers, 
will give the reader a clear insight into their character : 

" CoNDfe Ball Room. 
"A Grand Ball. 

"Admission one dollar. The ball will take place 
every Wednesday and Saturday. 

"The subscriber having a small ball room, can not 
receive more people than what his apartment will con- 
tain, he has made a regulation for a sufficient number of 
ladies for his room. The ball is not public for the 
ladies ; they will not be admitted without the invitation 
of the subscriber, and where they will have a personal 
ticket that the subscriber will distribute himself, to be 
more secure. The ladies that will have a ticket of ad- 
mittance are requested not to put themselves on the floor 
for the counter dance, and particularly those that have 
a handkerchief on their head. To avoid all inconven- 
iences at the door, the gentlemen are requested not to 
forget their ticket on going out of the room. A par- 
ticular place is made at the entrance of door to put their 
cloaks, hats, etc., for which the waiter will be responsi- 



NEW ORLEANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. l6l 

ble, after he will have delivered the number of tht 
article to each one. 

' ' Those who desire to subscribe for the balls can enter 
at the ball room from 9 o'clock in the morning until 9 
in the evening. St. Martin. " 

''' Spedatum adnu'ssi, risiim toieatis, aniicif'' 

I leave it to the reader's imagination to conjecture 
what lots of fun our youngsters must have had with 
damsels subjected to such primitive rules of social eti- 
quette. 

There was also another ball room on St. Philip street, 
between Royal and Bourbon, within the very walls oi 
the school now bearing that name, where the managers 
advertised to " keep good harmony." 

A more t-echerche ■3i^2\x was to be found at the corner ot 
Bourbon and Orleans streets, where the young bloods 
were wont to resort, and which subsequently became the 
theatre of many a difficulty, culminating in bloody 
duels between the Creoles and les Americains. These 
were the celebrated quadroon balls. 

The only place of this character up town was to be 
found in the faubourg St. Mary, at the corner of New 
Levee and Girod. If one may judge from the character 
of the location, it must have been the resort of flatboat- 
men and hoosiers from the Western country, who, at 
certain seasons of the year, carried on a profitable and 
extensive trade with our merchants. These strangers 
usually tarried with us only a few days. After dispos- 
ing of their produce, which they had floated down in 
rafts from the Ohio, they would lavish their money in 
every conceivable manner, paint the town "red," see 
all the "sights," the "elephant" included, until, 
stranded at last, they found themselves in the calaboose. 



l62 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Paying their small fines, they would go home satisfied. 
They had been to " Orlius." 

Such was the diversity of customs, religion and 
language, not to speak of the jealousy and distrust that 
separated the old settlers from the new comers of Saxon 
and Celtic origin, that two hostile factions resolved 
them.selves into distinct camps, and it has required the 
triturating influences of several decades to mould these 
conflicting interests into a homogeneous mass. Some 
curious letters addressed by Gov. Claiborne to his confi- 
dential correspondent, Gen. Wilkinson, throw floods 
of light upon a certain period in our State history, and, 
if published, would furnish interesting reading matter. 

When the English was adopted as the official lan- 
guage of the country, it became a matter of serious 
necessity for our people of Spanish and French ancestry 
to adapt themselves to the new rigime and to delve into 
the m5^steries of Anglo-Saxonism. The pronunciation 
of its gutturals proved a serious drawback at first, and 
provoked many a malediction ; but, in the course ol 
time, they gradually acquired a sort of '' pot pourrf 
mode of expression, which, though not Chesterfieldian, 
still enabled them to transact the ordinary affairs ol 
life with their more energetic neighbors. If not elegant 
and refined, it had the merit, at least, of being intelligi- 
ble, as the reader may have already seen from the 
specimen of St. Martin's style. As a pendant oi com- 
panion to it, I can not resist the temptation of placing 
on record the following advertisement, posted on Char- 
tres street in my school-boj' days, by a prominent auc- 
tioneer : 

NOTISE ! 

"These Estore Fort Sale." 



NEW ORLEANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. 1 63 

Apart from the unique spelling of this short produc- 
tion, when it is borne in mind that the last two words 
" fort sale " mean, when translated into English, " very 
filthy," his abortive attempt at idiomatic composition 
was simply ridiculous. 

The people residing at a distance from the public 
market v/ere usually furnished with provisions by a 
class of females, generally colored, called " mar- 
chandes. " Their supplies were varied and reasonably 
cheap. In addition to the choice cuts of meat which 
they purchased from the butcher stalls, they would 
select their vegetables direct from the gardens which 
girded the town. Hence, their stock was always fresh 
and abundant. They filled all orders given them, and 
came regularly every morning to their customers' doors. 
This system of daily delivery antedated the period of 
American occupation, and had its origin under the Span- 
iards of colonial days. They drove, no doubt, a profit- 
able trade, iar their commodities were far superior to 
those of some of our " private markets." This class of 
traders is now extinct. The Sicilians have crowded 
them out, as they have done our home folks in every 
department of industry in which they have engaged, 
substituting therefor a nondescript and offen ive species 
of peddling and " dago " shops, not only in antagc^nism 
to traditional customs, but dangerous to public health. 
They are confessedly to-day nothing else but hot-beds of 
infection, disease and filth. 

Of the police force I have already had occasion to 
speak. They were indistinctly called " gendarmes " or 
" City Guard." Taken as a whole they were a worth- 
less, lazy set, uniformed somewhat after the fashion of 



164 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Falstaff' s men in buckram. Sailors seem to have been 
their special aversion, for, on arriving in port, they 
never failed to have a set-to or scrimmage with them. 
Jack Tar, it is well known, must have his fun on shore, 
and, in resisting arrest, these hardy but rough fellows 
would unsheath the knives strapped to their belts and 
rush upon their tormentors. Hence, battles royal would 
ensue, and as the police used their sabres or cutlasses, 
these affrays would inevitably terminate in the infliction 
of severe gashes and sword thrusts. Many scenes of 
this kind have I witnessed in my childhood days. 

Next to the performance of this duty, which thej- con- 
sidered paramount and supreme, their occupation seemed 
to consist in loitering about town, in lounging around 
cabarets or in dozing away their time upon the benches 
of the guardhouse. The night watchmen were no better, 
although this branch of the service was occasionally 
supplemented by a citizen patrol. After sundown the 
streets became the property of footpads and garroters. 
Incendiary fires were matters of almost nightly occur- 
rence, as well as burglaries. People ventured out of 
their houses after dark only at their peril and with 
great apprehension, and never without a lantern. 

It is only since the consolidation of the different mu- 
nicipalities, some forty years ago, that our police organ- 
ization assumed a better character, and, by laying aside 
the cutlass and rattle for a club and whistle, began its 
onward march toward that degree of perfection which it 
is far from having attained. In this general condemna- 
tion of the old system I must cite as notable exceptions 
Capts. Harper, Winter, Youennes and Mazerat. Here 
and there, a tolerable policeman might have been found, 
but these were exceptional cases, and as doctors would 
say, isolated from the prevailing infection. 



NKW ORI^EANS UNDER DENIS PRIEUR. I65 

During- the period of Denis Prieur's administration, 
two deaths occurred which recalled to the old inhabi- 
tants saintly works of charity, and memorable deeds 
of war. One was that of Pere Antoine, the other 
of Dominique You, whose record is outlined in these 
pages. 

In the year 1829 there died in this city a holy friar, 
who, for fifty years, had been the guide and consoler of 
the afflicted, rich and poor alike. The lowly cabin or 
hut, thatched with palmetto leaves, which he had con- 
structed with his own hands, stood at the corner of the 
vacant lot directly behind the Cathedral, and which 
forms now the angle of Royal and St. Anthony alley. 
I refer to Fra Antonio de Sedella, a capuchin of the 
Franciscan order, better known as Pere Antoine. 
Though his death was not quite unexpected, its an- 
nouncement proved a terrible blow to the entire commu- 
nity, for he was beloved by all, irrespective of creed or 
nationality. 

His corpse was laid out during three days upon a gor- 
geously decked catafalque, in the centre aisle of the 
church, attended by a civic and military guard. The 
surging masses had to be restrained. Viewed as a saint, 
his parishioners, in their desire to retain some relic of 
their good pastor, had cut into small pieces his humble 
serge cassock, and would have proceeded to further ex- 
tremities but for the exertions of Mayor Prieur, who, in 
person, promptly restored order in" the house of God, 
and took measures to prevent their recurrence. 

His death was looked upon as a public calamity. All 
the public Iniildiogs were draped in mourning, and the 
flags of foreign ships, of the various consulates, of the 
binks, etc., were hoisted at half mast. Crape was 
hung on the doors of hundreds aud hundreds of private 



1 66 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

residences, for every family seemed to feel that it had 
lost a friend, a benefactor, a father. 

The City Council, the Legislature, the bench, the 
learned professors, even the Masons (whom the Catholic 
Church excommunicates), adopted in their several 
places of meeting eulogistic resolutions, and signified 
their desire to attend the obsequies. Edward Living- 
ston, though a free-thinker, pronounced a beautiful 
oration before the assembled barristers and judges. 
The funeral services were conducted with unusual pomp 
and magnificence. Three thousand wax tapers illumi- 
nated the sacred edifice. L'Abbe Maenhaut, who suc- 
ceeded him afterward, delivered the funeral sermon. 
The whole military force of the city, including the far- 
famed Legion, were arrayed in front of the square. 
When the procession took up its line of march through 
the streets, every church bell tolled the sad, solemn 
parting knell, and few were the eyes unmoistened with 
tears. If we are to believe tradition and contempora- 
neous accounts, the pageant was one of the grandest 
manifestations of a people's grief ever witnessed in New 
Orleans. 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE EXECUTION OF PAULINE. 



"Any slave who shall wilfully and maliciously strike 
his master or mistress, or his master's or mistress' child, 
or any white overseer appointed by his owner to super- 
intend said owner's slaves, so as to cause a contusion or 
shedding of blood, shall be punished with death or im- 
prisonment at hard labor for a term of not less than ten 
years." — Black Code, Sec. j. 

I am about to relate one of the most revolting crimes 
that ever startled the community of New Orleans. The 
details of the atrocitits to which a white and respectable 
woman of this city was actually being subjected by her 
own slave, in her own house, when first unearthed; 
the fiendish barbarity with which this demon in human 
.shape was discovered torturing and ill-treating her 
martyred mistress, was a crime so unprecedented even 
in the darkest days of African servitude that the public 
mind was literally appalled. And what added to the 
hideousness of the spectacle was the fact that the crime 
was shown to have been authorized, nay instigated, by 
the husband him.self of the half-demented martyr. The 
facts present a remarkable pendant to the Lalaurie 
case, narrated in full in Chapter IV. Gleaned from 
contemporaneous sources, they furnish an authentic 
account both of the crime and of its expiation: 
167 



l68 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

In the early part of January, 1845, Edgard Montegut, 
then Mayor of this city, received through the postoffice, 
an anonymous letter informing him that a white female 
was imprisoned in a house. No. 52 Bayou Road, a 
prisoner of her own slave. The same missive also ap- 
prised him that she, for some time past, had been 
treated in a most horrid manner. The Mayor, accom- 
panied by Recorder Jos. Genois and some police officers, 
immediately repaired to the designated place, where 
they found a Mrs. Rabbaneck, the lady of the house, 
with three of her children, respectively aged seven, four 
and two years, confined in a back cabinet. Their 
clothing was worn to tatters and rags; they were cov- 
ered with filth and ulcers, and their limbs were shrunken 
and emaciated. The body of Mrs. R. was covered with 
bruises from head to foot, and in many places with lac- 
erations, indicating where the lash had entered the 
flesh. Her blackened eyes bore evidence of heavy 
blows, and her hair was clotted with blood. The three 
children presented nearly the same shocking appearance, 
the two eldest in particular. Upon being questioned by 
the Mayor as to the cause of her distress, Mrs. R. , see- 
ing that her slave, Pauline, was present, answered that 
her husband had beaten her. As she exhibited much 
trepidation whenever the eyes of her servant were bent 
upon her, the Mayor ordered the latter's removal from 
the room, whereupon the woman acknowledged that 
she was afraid to make statements in her presence, 
dreading death to herself and little ones. Her hus- 
band, she stated, had been absent on a visit for the 
last six weeks to St. I^ouis, since which time Pauline 
had taken possession of the house and its contents, 
and incarcerated her and children in a closet, where 
they had been beaten almost daily, sometimes with a 



Tim EXECUTION OF PAUIvINK. 169 

cane, at others with a strap, and furnished with food 
barely sufficient to sustain life. Medical aid and attention 
were immediately given them at the Mayor's instance, 
and. the negress was arrested and committed to prison. 
A few days after, a preliminary examination was held 
before Recorder Genois, and the above facts being fully 
substantiated she was ordered to be tried before the Crim- 
inal Court, under the provisions of the ' ' Black Code. ' ' 
It is needless to say that, on the day of trial, an im- 
mense concourse of people had swarmed in and around 
the avenues of the court house to listen to the dramatic 
details. To such a height had public excitement 
reached that we may well wonder now how the wretched 
culprit could have escaped, then and there, the fury of 
an angry and avenging mob. But to the honor of the 
city authorities be it said, and the exertions of Monte- 
gut, no serious outbreak occurred. 

Everything being ready for trial. Judge Canonge ap- 
pointed N. Z. Latour, Esq., to defend the prisoner. 
The members of the special tribunal, six in number, were 
called to the book and severally sworn by the judge, 
upon the oath prescribed by the Code, the judge being in 
turn also sworn in by one of the jurors as the presiding 
officer. The prisoner was then arraigned, entered a 
plea of " not guilty," and stated that she was ready for 
trial. The district attorney then read the indictment, 
and explained to the jury the law of 18 14, under which 
the prosecution was instituted, and which inflicted the 
penalty of death upon anj^ slave to strike his master, 
mistress or any of their children, so as to cause a con- 
tusion or shedding of blood ; also the amendment to the 
above act, passed in 1843, giving the jury the privilege 
to commute the punishment to imprisonment at hard 
labor for life, 



lyo NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

The testimony elicited on the part of the prosecution 
went to show that the slave Pauline had been purchased 
by Peter Rabbeneck about two years previous from Mr. 
Francois Roubieu, who owned a plantation a short dis- 
tance below Natchitoches, on which Rabbeneck had 
been for some years acting as overseer. Rabbeneck 
removed to the city and rented one-half of a double 
dwelling house, No. 52 Bayou Road, from Mr. Isenhart, 
who occupied the other half. About six weeks previous 
to the occurrence, Rabbeneck, who had business to 
transact in St. lyouis, went up the river, leaving his 
wife, whom he had represented to Isenhart and his 
daflghter to be crazy, and his children, together with 
upward of $200 in money, in charge of Pauline, who 
was proven to be his paramour, and claimed to be about 
to become a mother. 

Immediately after Rabbeneck 's departure, Pauline 
took possession of her mistress' apartments, and re- 
moved her and the three children to the back cabinet, 
which she had herself previously occupied. Mrs. Rab- 
beneck, who had sufficiently recovered to appear in 
court, testified that, since her husband's absence, she 
had been subjected to the most cruel and barbarous 
treatment from her slave, who had beaten her at times 
with a cane or leather strap, as well as with her fist, and 
had obtained such a mastery over her will that she was 
afraid, in case she disclosed to any one her sufferings, 
that her life would be taken. She also testified that 
she had a knowledge of her husband's intimacy with 
Pauline, which intimacy had caused much ill feeling 
between them, and had resulted on several occasions in 
her being struck by her husband. Mrs. R. also testified 
to the cruel manner in which her children had been 
beaten by Pauline. 



THE EXECUTION OF PAULINE. 171 

This testimony was corroborated by a slave named 
Dinah, who, on or about Christmas, had been employed 
by Pauline to work by the day to wash clothes. She 
stated that on the second day after she had been em- 
ployed, upon Pauline's returning from market, and dis- 
covering that a biscuit was missing from the breakfast 
table, she charged the taking of it on Constance, the 
oldest child, who, upon denying the theft, was dread- 
fully beaten with a leathern strap by Pauline, who alsc 
tied the child's clothes over her head and forced her foi 
some time into a kneeling posture, with her knees rest- 
ing upon the rough edges of small pieces of brick, 
which she had broken up for that cruel purpose. A few 
days after she heard Pauline abusing some one in the cabi- 
net, and upon the latter leaving the house she entered 
the room, and for the first time discovered that there 
was a person confined there. She raised a mosquito bai 
and inquired if she could render Mrs. R. any assistance, 
but upon receiving no direct answer she paid no furthei 
attention to the matter. On another occasion she again 
heard Pauline in the cabinet cursing her mistress, 
calling her opprobrious names, and telling her if she did 
not get up and go to work she would whip her to death, 
Pauline at the same time dragging her mistress by the 
hair out of bed upon the floor and beating her in the 
face with her fist. Upon witness remonstrating with 
Pauline, she attempted to close the door of the cabinet 
upon her, and forced the child Constance to hand 
her a cane, with which she beat Mrs. R. in a most 
shocking and cruel manner. The witness on the 
same day informed a gentleman, by whom she was 
occasionally employed, of the above circumstances, who, 
on the next day, addressed an anonymous letter to 
the Mayor, which led to the arrest of Pauline and the 



172 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

release of the unfortunate family from their pitiful situ- 
ation. 

The testimony of the Mayor and of Dr. Beugnot, in 
relation to the condition of the sufferers, at the time ol 
the discovery of the crime, confirmed the above state- 
ments in every particular. 

Catherine Isenhart, who occupied with her father a 
part of the same dwelling with Mrs. Rabbeneck, testi- 
fied that the only time she had seen Mrs. Rabbeneck 
was a day or two after she had first occupied the house. 
Mr. Rabbeneck told her, before leaving for St. Louis, 
that his wife was crazy, had permitted one of theii 
children some years since to starve to death, and that he 
had been compelled to purchase Pauline to attend to his 
children on that account. He also told her that his 
wife would hardly ever speak to any person, not even 
to him. The witness also testified as to the beating ol 
the child Constance on one occasion. She had fre- 
quently heard Pauline cursing her mistress, but as 
witness was frequently absent from the house, if she had 
inflicted blows upon her it must have been during her 
absence. 

The case was submitted to the jury without argument, 
who, after being instructed by the court in regard to the 
law, returned the following verdict : 

" We, the undersigned, freeholders, forming the 
special tribunal which was convoked and sworn to try 
the slave Pauline, belonging to Peter Rabbeneck, ac- 
cused of striking her mistress so as to cause the shedding 
of blood, do unanimously find her guilty and agree to 
sentence, and do hereby sentence the said Pauline, 
belonging to Peter Rabbeneck, to death, and do hereby 
unanimously fix and appoint the 21st day of February, 
1845;, between the hours of 10 a. m. and 2 p. m., as the 



THE EXECUTION OF PAULINE. 1 73 

time when the said sentence of death shall be carried 
into effect, the place of execution to be opposite 
the Parish Prison. And inasmuch as we are given to 
understand that the said Pauline is now 'enceinte,* 
and this sentence can not be carried into execution 
while she is in that situation, we, in such a case, 
do further unanimously order that said sentence of death 
shall be executed at the same hour and place on the 
28th day of March, 1846." 

During the whole course of the proceedings Pauline's 
attitude was entirel}- passive. She appeared to be about 
twentj^-eight years of age, of middle size, and with a 
sulky, stubborn and revengeful look. It was bruited 
about that she was a Virginian by birth, and had at 
one time belonged to President Monroe. The throng 
in the evening was as great as that in the morning, and 
the police had to resort to adroit devices to take the 
prisoner back to jail, without passing through the 
crowds in waiting to see the wretch. A cab being in 
readiness, she was put into it and safely driven to her 
prison quarters. 

A committee of physicians was appointed by Judge 
Canonge to examine the condition of Pauline, and, upon 
their report, her execution was fixed for the 28th of 
March, of the ensuing year. During nearly the whole 
period of her incarceration she appeared indifferent to 
or unconscious of the fate that awaited her, and her 
statement as to her delicate condition was proven by 
time to have been fictitious, and made only with the 
view of extending her lease of life. 

In the meantime some kind souls residing in the 
parish of Iberville, commiserating the condition and 
abandonment in which she had been left by the brutality 
and unfeeling conduct of her equally guilty husband, 



174 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

had provided for Mrs. Rabbeneck a home in the town of 
Plaquemine, where she was leading a life of usefulness 
and retirement. But the wretch who had blighted her life 
and sacrificed her love for the meretricious embraces of 
a slave-mistress, was not to be deprived of his prey, and, 
discovering her new place of abode, went in pursuit of 
her. But the people of that town, loath to have such a 
reptile in their midst, soon checked his infamous career, 
as I find in the following paragraph from the Plaque- 
mine Gazette: 

"The miscreant who ill-treated his wife so outrage- 
ously in New Orleans, last fall, and then left her and 
children to the tender mercies of the slave, Pauline 
(now under sentence of death for her barbarities toward 
her mistress and children), was found prowling about 
the premises of one of our citizens Thursday night, 
and was very properly arrested and put in jail. His 
object in hanging round the house in question was to 
see his wife, but whether with good or evil intent it is 
difficult to tell. He will hardly find a lawyer in this 
place who for the sake of a fee will undertake to shield 
him from justice." 

Thus wandered the wretch through the paths of life, 
with the curse and brand of Cain upon his brow ! Dis- 
charged from custody, he became an outcast, friendless 
and despised. 

On Saturday, March 28, 1846, Pauline was hung pur- 
suant to her sentence. Orleans street, in front of the 
prison, was blocked up by an immense crowd as early 
as 8 o'clock in the morning. At 11 o'clock she was 
robed for the execution, confessed and took the sacra- 
ment. At 12:15 she was taken from the cell and con- 
ducted to the scaffold, erected on a platform connecting 
the Parish Prison with the Police Jail. I have witnessed 



THK EXECUTION OF PAULINE. 1 75 

executions of different kinds, but I never saw such a 
perfect example of firmness as that which she displayed. 
Some would have called it indifference, but such was 
not the case. She died not only penitent and resigned, 
but exhibited great moral courage. When seated on 
the chair, the Abbe Louis said a praj-er in which she 
joined with apparent eagerness and devotion. When 
asked whether she desired anything, she replied in the 
negative — nothing except a crucifix and a glass of water. 
The question was then put whether she was ready, and 
she calmly answered "Yes." The drop fell, and she 
suffered three or four minutes ere she expired. When her 
form was drawn back to the scaffold, it was found that 
her neck had not been dislocated, and she must have died 
from strangulation. There were no less than 4000 to 5000 
persons to witness the execution, among whom serious and 
sorrowful faces strangely contrasted with the boisterous 
and merry. Bedizened courtesans flaunted their charms 
in open carriages ; women of all descriptions were there 
on foot, young and old, of all colors. lyoud was the 
laugh and merry the jokes which provoked mirth among 
the lookers-on, and as I contemplated the swinging and 
circling form of the expiatory victim and the stolid in- 
difference of that heterogeneous crowd, I thought that 
a public execution was a beastly and barbarous exhibi- 
tion — a brutal privilege of the law to satisfy the morbid 
appetite of those who delight in scenes of cruelty. The 
zealous offices and Christian-like attentions of the Abbe 
Louis and of Miss Madelaine Labertonniere to the con- 
demned were assiduous, and received great commen- 
dation. 

After hanging about twenty minutes, the culprit was 
pronounced dead, and the body lifted to the platform, 
whence it was taken back to the prison for interment- 



176 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

The sheriff and officers under his direction performed 
their duties well, and the press gave them much credit 
for the dignified and orderly manner in which the stern 
but just mandate of the law had been obeyed. 

Such was the ending of one of those phases of the 
institution of slavery which furnished such a prolific 
theme for heated discussions. 




CHURCH OF ST. LOUIS. 
As Modifi-.d by Latrobe in IS 14, ana Le Richs in 1824. 



CHAPTER X. 



LOUISIANA PLANTERS. 



In this ao^e of so-called advancement and progress, 
when the primary principles of political economy are 
being antagonized by speculations and theories of doubt- 
ful soundness, and under the specious and high-sound- 
ing phrases of " tariff reform," one of the staple produc- 
tions of Louisiana, and the main source of her prosper- 
ity and wealth, is being threatened with utter ruin, a 
retrospective view of the sugar industry of our State, 
and of our plantations in ante-bellum times, may not 
prove to-day inappropriate or amiss. 

A trip along the Mississippi coast never failed to 
prove a visit of delight and pleasure. The beautiful 
light-green foliage, the regular and uniform color and 
growth ot the cane, extending in an unbroken sea of 
verdure as far as the eye could reach, rendered a cane 
field the most delightful sight which could greet the 
vision of one who loved scenes of rural and agricultural 
beauty. At certain seasons, so sturdy, so thick, tangled 
and towering seemed the stalks, that one could hardly 
refrain from pitying the poor blacks who. had to cut 
them down. And yet this task was to them a labor of 
love, and they appeared to enjoy the fun. Although 
the necessities of the crop demanded almost incessant 
exertion, and allowed no time for rest or recreation, the 
177 



178 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

slaves preferred it to any other employment, ai;d alwaj^s 
looked forward to the grinding season as a pleasant and 
exciting holiday. 

Along the whole distance from New Orleans to Baton 
Rouge was a succession of most elegant villas, mostly in 
the French and Italian style of architecture, many of 
them on a scale of great magnificence. The residences 
were usually large, roomy and commodious, and a large 
space was always devoted to the duties of hospitality. 
A room or two for invited guests, or the strange wa}^- 
farer, was the not uncommon appendage of a planter's 
house. Their repasts were bounteous and recherche. 
Profusion seemed to be the rule. Their domestic circle 
was emphatically the lares at which these typical Cre- 
oles sat and worshiped. Surrounded usually by a 
large family, the planter felt an innate pride in the 
training of his children, in the purity of his stock, and 
in the culture of his flowers. His home was surely an 
ideal home. 

A peculiarity of their plantation residences, and, by 
the way, one which proved of superior advantage over 
the homes of our Northern farmers, was the broad, airy 
and lofty galleries, that rested on massive stuccoed 
columns and encircled the four sides of the habitation, 
instead of the pretentious porches so frequently seen at 
the North. The rooms were, therefore, thoroughly ven- 
tilated and cool, freely admitting the summer breezes 
wafted from the lake and the Mississippi river, and 
afforded ample room to the little ones during the rainy 
season to romp and play. The basement, converted in 
summer into a spacious dining room, was oftentimes the 
coolest portion of the house, while hammocks, sus- 
pended here and there, attested the habits of the family 
and their fondness for the daily siesta. 



LOUISIANA PLANTERS. 179 

At some distance in the rear, midway between the 
planter's residence and the edge of the swamp, was to 
be seen a huge, massive pile, over which towered an 
immense chimney. This was the sugar mill, the pride 
of the L,ouisiana planter. The cost of these structures, 
with their complete outfit of machinery, was in several 
instances enormous. They were built almost exclusively 
of brick, and as fire-proof as possible. The expenses 
for running these establishments were then much greater 
than they are at the present day. With our now im- 
proved system of granulating the juice of the cane, the 
yield of the saccharine matter is not only much greater, 
but the desiccated bagasse furnishes an excellent substi- 
tute for coal. Not so, in ante-bellum times. The 
planter had no other supply for fuel than in the swamp 
back of his plantation. This apparently worthless piece 
of land was his providence. It furnished him with 
timber of every description — good, bad and indifferent. 
But the trouble to hew, haul and store away the hun- 
dreds and sometimes thousands of cords necessary for 
the grinding season was very great and harassing, and 
the outlay became a matter of some consequence. This 
indispensable work was usually done after the cane had 
attained some degree of maturity. 

Next to his sugar mill, the planter used to look with 
complacency upon the quarters of his field hands. 
These were unique, picturesque, and constituted in 
themselves thriving villages. They were regularly laid 
out in the form of a paralellogram, intersected by 
numerous streets, built generally of wood, freshly white- 
washed, with a small plat of ground attached for cul- ■ 
tivation by each occupant. The proceeds of this patch, 
as well as those resulting from the sale of chickens and 
^Sgs, were the property of the slaves, the policy of the 



I So NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

master being to encourage in them habits of thrift and 
love for work. 

The grounds surrounding the mansion house were 
alwa5's laid out with profuse and magnificent shrubbery. 
This was the spot which usually betrayed a woman's 
tender care. A spacious avenue, leading from the resi- 
dence to the gate facing the public road, was the first 
feature to attract attention. lyined with stately mag- 
nolias, their umbrageous limbs diffused a cool tempera- 
ture, without obstructing the course of any current of air. 
The walks were hedged with jessamines and little groves 
of myrtles and cedars, of arbor vitse and arbor call, with 
lines of rose and pomegranate bushes marking off the 
squares, while now and then a huge-stalked banana tree 
or a bristling cactus or Agave Americana would start up 
and betray our vicinity to the tropical zone. Towering 
above all this diversified shrubbery were various wide- 
spreading and well shaped pecan trees, or, perhaps, the 
jagged, twisted and gnarled limbs of that Spartan of the 
forest, the live-oak. Completely encircling the whole 
house, yard and garden was a rich dark hedge of orange 
trees, which, in the fall of the year, were nearly weighed 
down with the burden of their abundant fruit. 

This is only but a brief outline of the river planter's 
habitation and environments during the period which 
preceded the war. But as to himself what pen can 
graphically describe his genial humor, his proverbial 
hospitality, his innate sense of justice and his affection- 
ate treatment of his slaves ? Who can enter the inner 
circle of his private life, and see without admiration his 
devotion to wife, his solicitude for his children, his tem- 
perate admonitions to his employes, his cheerful inter- 
course with his neighbors, his delight in taking the 
weary traveler by the hand and making him a welcome 



LOUISIANA PLANTERS. l8l 

guest at his board ? Alas! that proud race of nature's 
nobleraeu is, I fear, extinct forever. 

The river planter was a worker. Though raised and 
nurtured in the lap of fortune, he had been made to ac- 
quire in early youth habits of activity and industry, 
which he retained through life. At early dawn, as soon 
as the plantation bell was summoning the laborers to 
their daily toil, he would be seen, mounted on his wiry 
horse, riding across the fields to see that his overseer 
was carrying out his orders. He was constantly busy ; 
here attending to a fallen fence, there to the deepening 
of a trench, or again to the repair of a dangerous bridge. 
Believing in the old adage that ' ' the eye of the master 
fattens the horse," his time was much engrossed in 
superintending every detail. Thus it was that at some 
seasons he realized large profits. But there were periods, 
also, when he was made to undergo serious reverses. 
Those were the times when the crops failed, when pre- 
mature frosts rendered abortive the labor of months of 
toil, or when financial depression hung over the country. 
During the continued crash of banks and other moneyed 
institutions which marked New Orleans' history in the 
'30s, no one suffered more severely and resisted the over- 
whelming tide with more courage and persistence than 
the lyouisiana planter. Fortunes were swept away at 
one fell swoop, and heavy, oppressive mortgages were 
the result. As a general rule, the planter was a man of 
refinement and culture, educated in the best schools of 
Paris or America. The French Opera, during the gay 
season, was his special enjoyment. He delighted in 
convivial reunions, the pleasures of refined society, and, 
above all, in the attractions of the home circle. Taken 
all in all, he was emphatically one of the mainstays of 
the country's wealth and progress. 



CHAPTER XI. 



A STRANGE STORY OF THE SEA. 



On the morning of the 8th of June, 1841, the citizens 
of New Orleans were startled by the appearance at one 
of the city wharves of the ship Charles, of Bath, Me., 
Captain Gorliam, which had left the city for Bordeaux on 
the evening of the ist previous with a cargo of 65,000 
staves, 75,000 feet of lumber, and a lot of heading and 
wheel spokes. She was brought back to the city by the 
towboat Tiger. Her unexpected return was due to the 
following inexplicable circumstances : 

The Charles had cleared on a Tuesday and gone 
down to the Balize the same evening, crossing the bar 
and getting well into the Gulf on the morning follow- 
ing. During the whole of Wednesday and Thursday 
the Charles, as well as the L,ouis Quatorze, which had 
gone out at the same time, was distinctly visible from 
the Balize, the weather being rather calm ; though it 
was observed that the Charles steered to the westward, 
while the lyouis Quatorze headed to the east of the 
Southwest Pass. On Friday morning, at an early hour, 
the captain of the Tiger noticed a vessel apparently 
directing her course for the Southwest Pass, and seem- 
ing at that distance as if her studding sails were set. 
Presuming that the vessel was in want of a pilot, he 
directed his boat toward her. On nearing her he dis- 
182 



A strakge story of' the sea. 183 

covered it was the ship Charles. Nearly all her sails 
had been set, and the jib, which was flying loosely, 
appeared to have been cut, probably to make an awning 
for one of the boats. Not a solitary being was on 
board. 

On descending into the cabin several bottles, which 
had contained porter and had had their necks knocked 
off, were found on the table. Some of their contents 
had been spilled, and the froth looked quite fresh. 
Every particle of luggage had disappeared. Not a 
trunk, nor a mattress, nor any article of clothing, save an 
old pair of boots, was to be seen. The apparel a^d 
bedding of the captain, crew and passengers had evi- 
dently been carried off also. On examining the vessel's 
decks, spots of blood having the appearance of having 
being recently shed, together with eight or ten hand- 
spikes, were seen on the starboard side. On the lar- 
board was a pool of blood running toward the scuppers, 
and on the same side on the outer part of the vessel were 
eight stains of blood also, which had apparently flowed 
from some wounded person being carried or forced over 
the ship's side. 

It must be borne in mind that this appalling discovery 
was made at an early hour in the morning. After fully 
establishing the facts just recited, the Tiger very prop- 
erly put to sea and cruised for some five or six hours. 
In the course of this search, at a distance of about ten 
miles from the Charles, a boat, identified as one 
belonging to that vessel, and in it a dog said to have 
been the property of one of the passengers, were picked 
up. The animal appeared by no means exhausted, and 
had evidently not been long adrift, as when offered 
water he did not lap very eagerly. 

After cruising some time lonjcr and finding nothing 



184 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

whatever to clear ti] the mystery, Captain Crowell re- 
turned to the vessel, fastened her in tow and brought her 
to the city. 

It is needless to state that this singular discovery gave 
rise to speculations of every kind. Horrid rumors of 
murder and piracy, mutiny and assassination, flew from 
mouth to mouth with incredible rapidity. The preva- 
lent supposition — although about as vague as every 
other — was that the crew had rebelled, murdered the 
captain and passengers, seized the baggage and valua- 
bles on board and escaped in one of the yawls, which 
was found to be missing. 

The city authorities on the receipt of this news assem- 
bled and counseled together. A meeting of the Council 
of the Second Municipality (now First District) was 
held, at which decisive measures were adopted for the 
elucidation of this dark and horrible enigma. The 
steamship Neptune was immediately chartered to cruise 
in the Gulf, and a crew of sixty able-bodied seamen 
were engaged, fully armed and equipped, the whole un- 
der the command of Captain Butler, harbormaster of that 
section of the port. A large number of citizens offered 
their services to accompany this expedition, but as the 
Neptune had already her full complement of men, the 
proffer was declined. At her departure from our river 
front, the wharves were lined with eager spectators. 

A further search of the Charles brought to light 
additional mystifying facts. In the steerage hatch of 
the now notorious craft, in a heap of rubbish and refuse 
stuff, were found se^^eral articles of female wearing ap- 
parel and a very good black coat. There was also the 
upper portion of a lady's dress ; the skirt was missing. 
The inside portion of the right breast was stained with 



A STRANGE STORY OF THE SEA. 1 85 

blood and revealed a small rent, as if it had been pierced 
by a poignard. Said a local paper: "Every additional 
circumstance appears to corroborate the belief that the 
helpless and unoffending victims on board this ill-fated 
vessel have met with a bloody and watery grave." 

Immediately following the Neptune, the Merchant 
with sixty men, and a schooner carrying twenty-five 
others, set off upon the same errand. The first was a 
steamboat plying on lyake Pontchartrain, on board of 
which a number of volunteers had embarked under the 
command of General Persifor F. Smith, who took the 
lake route. After an absence of several days, she came 
back to port with a startling account of her operations. 
It was substantially as follows : 

Shortly after the arrival of the Merchant in the Gulf, 
she met the United States brig Consort, with which she 
cruised some time in company, both of them scouring 
the coast from the mainland northw^Lrd to the Balize. 
On Tuesday, the 8th of April, a heavy firing was heard 
by the Merchant and the Consort at the Balize. It was 
likewise heard by those on board the Neptune, but the 
noise sounded to them like that of distant thunder. On 
the Friday following, the Merchant left the Consort on 
her way to the westward of the Passes, and returned to 
the Balize for water. The expedition there heard of a 
marauding party encamped on Lime Kiln Bayou, in the 
vicinity of the Chandeleurs. The party immediately 
directed their course thither, and arrived at the bayou 
at night. 

They made their way along the stream in boats, but 
as the water became narrower and shallower at every 
step, the boats were obliged to follow each other in 
S'.igle file, the first being commanded by General Smith 
in person, the second by Captain Hozey, and the third 



1 86 NE^W ORI.BANS AS iT WAS. 

by Captain Thacker. After, traveling some time in this 
fashion, the expedition came upon the encampment and, 
the night being dark, General Smith jumped ashore, 
followed by the men of his company. In front of a tent 
stood a sentinel with a musket. He was ordered to sur- 
render. He did so, but was thrown to the ground in 
order that he might be pinioned. In the meantime 
General Smith had gone behind a tent to reconnoitre. 
At this moment an individual, said to have been the 
brother of the sentinel, hearing the noise, rushed out of 
the tent, armed with a bowie knife, and falling on the 
two men outside wounded them both severely. One of 
the party rushed back into the water, exclaiming : "I 
am stabbed," whereupon Captain Hozey's company 
stepped on shore, and one of them, putting his musket 
to the assailant's side, discharged its contents into his 
body. General Smith, hearing the tumult, sprang from 
the inside of the tent, which he was engaged in inspect- 
ing, sword in hand, and stumbling over the prostrate 
body of the dying man was stabbed by him on the fore- 
head and on both sides of the body. Fortunately, none 
of the wounds proved dangerous. The survivors were 
immediately secured. They consisted in all of four men 
and a boy. They were conveyed to the Balize and left 
in charge of the authorities there. 

This is the sum of the statement which the officers of 
this volunteer expeditionary fdce condescended to fur- 
nish the press on their arrival at New Orleans, and as 
people were conjecturing as to the cause of the attack 
and the character of the people attacked, a new surprise 
awaited them in the form of a judicial prosecution, in- 
stituted by the relatives of the camping party. When 
their names became known and their narrative given to 
the public, it was discovered that a terrible mistake had 



A STRANGE STORY OF THE) SKA. 1 8; 

been committed and a deep and grievous wrong perpe- 
trated. A warrant, signed by the mayor, was issued for 
the arrest of Smith and Hozey. 

Now arose another complication. 

The facts, as related by the prosecuting parties, maj^ be 
thus summarized : The latter consisted of Messrs. Paul 
I^uscy, Klmire L,uscy, a boy and two friends, who, acting 
under medical advice, had repaired to the sea shore for 
a change of air. They had stopped at first on ' ' Bird 
Island," but a fisherman having offered to convey them 
to another island, where trees and game were more 
abundant, they had accepted the proposition. They 
had been living four days upon this spot, and had 
erected thereon a camp tent, under which they habitu- 
ally slept, when, toward 9 o'clock in the night-time, the 
two lyuscys were surprised at hearing the sound of oars. 
Aware of what was being Said about pirates, Elmire 
I^uscy took up his gun, and perceiving two boats com- 
ing toward their encampment, and suspecting that they 
were revenue ofiicers, he went directly to them, and 
offered to give up his gun. The sequel is better related 
by himself in the following communication, which ap- 
peared in the French columns of the Bee: 

"I owe it to my family, my fellow-citizens and myseli 
to publish the result of the cruise of the steamer Mer- 
chant, Captain Griffin, which culminated in the assas- 
sination of my brother, Paul lyuscy, who was the only 
support of a numerous family. 

" On the 3d instant, toward noon, a party consisting 
of Paul I,uscy, Francois lyavergne, myself and my boy, 
aged nine years, left the city in a boat. Paul had been 
advised by Dr. Guesnard to take salt water baths, as he 
was in declining health. On our way out, we were met 



1 88 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

by Captain Taylor, who hailed us and wanted to know 
where we were from, and whither we were bound. 
After having informed him that we belonged to New 
Orleans, and that we had just left Bird Island en route 
for Bayou lyimekiln, he warned us that a band of pirates 
were believed to be concealed in the neighborhood ; en- 
joined us to keep a sharp lookout, and in the event of 
our discovering their whereabouts not to fail to keep 
him advised. On the nth instant, we went out to fish 
oysters with Mr. Henry Price. At about 9 o'clock at 
night we were all resting in our tent, when, hearing the 
noise of a boat approaching our camp, I left the tent, 
gun in hand, and cried out : ' Who is there?' Without 
answering me a single word several men, running 
toward me, threw themselves upon me. I turned my gun 
over to them, saying : ' I am not a robber,' believing at 
the time that they were Custom House officers. At the 
same time a number of other individuals jumped ashore, 
armed with guns and bayonets. I rushed under the 
tent, and, taking up my child in my arms, I cried out : 
' I am not a robber ! Here, see my son !' Heedless of 
my protestations and of this living evidence of my inno- 
cence, I, together with my young son, was thrown to 
the ground and covered with bayonets. In this melee I 
received a wound in my right arm. 

" While imploring for the life of mj^ child I heard the 
discharge of a gun, and, notwithstanding the bayonets 
pointed at me, I exclaimed: ' Luscy, brother!' His 
answer was : ' I am a dead man. ' My brother had then 
fallen into the bayou. I attempted to rise and go to his 
assistance, but those who were holding me prevented 
my so doing. They were about twenty-five or thirty in 
number. They said : ' Catch the man in the water,' 
speaking of my brother, who had just received a bullet 



A STRANGE STORY OF THE SEA. 1 89 

through the abdomen, perforating the spinal column. 
When taken out of the water, notwithstanding his 
wounded condition, he was ordered to be pinioned : 
' Tie him ! Tie him !' I begged them to desist, as he 
was evidently dying. Then he fell into my arms and 
said: 'I am lost.' An individual, seemingly a physi- 
cian, applied a small bandage to his wounds, saying : 
' It is useless ; he is dying.' When all was over, these 
brave and chivalrous men began to busy themselves, 
some in eating the oysters that we had caught on that 
day, others in breaking up our small tent and in search- 
ing for booty. They only found a pocket-book 'contain- 
ing two dollars and six bits, a silver watch and a powder- 
horn, which they took awa}-. At about 11 o'clock p, 
M. , we were all stowed away in a yawl and taken to the 
steamer Merchant, in the Mississippi river. 

" When this steamer was about to leave, my brother 
besought them to carry him home and allow him to die 
in the midst of his family, but this last consolation was 
brutally denied him, and he was left on shore at the 
Balize, where he died at 5 o'clock in the evening, on 
Saturday, the 12th instant. 

" This attacking expedition against an unoffending 
tent and its sleeping occupants was commanded by that 
brave General, Persifor F. Smith, and Major C. F. 
Hozey. 

" As a proof of the falsity of the statements daily pub- 
lished in the papers of the Second Municipality, I refer 
to the flattering terms, officially published in the /'/Vrt- 
_j'«;/^ of Tuesday, 15th inst. , in which the recorder and 
the aldermen of that municipality express themselves 
anent the chivalrous conduct of Messieurs Smith and 
Hozey, whose sole meritorious act, prompted either 
through cowardice or intoxication, seems to have 



I go NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

been the iinuder of the only mainstay of a numerous 
family. 

(Signed) " Elmire Francois lyuscv." 

The Luscy family was one of the most honorable and 
respectable of the lower portion of Faubourg Marigny, 
and the publication of the above "card" carried much 
weight with it. While deploring the events that had 
led to such a tragical ending, and giving the affair the 
benefit of every mitigating circumstance, the impartial 
public could not but appreciate the fact that a homicide 
had been committed in a hasty, unseemly and injudi- 
cious manner, and that the affair ought to undergo a 
thorough judicial investigation. As usual on occasions 
of public importance, where sectional differences were 
unnecessarily introduced, the press up and down town 
took opposite sides, and the controversy, without assum- 
ing an acrimonious character, was kept up with spirit. 
To the "statement" of Luscy, Gen. Persifor F. Smith 
thought proper to issue a "rejoinder," which had a good 
effect. Here it is : 

*' To the Editor of the Courier: 

" Will 3^ou be pleased to insert the following state- 
ment of facts, which I would not trouble you with had 
not Mr. E. F. Luscy, in this morning's Bee, published 
so gross a perversion of them. 

"On the night of the nth instant, with a party of 
men in boats, searching among the bays leading to Lime 
Kiln Bayou, I landed at a shell bank, on which was a 
small tent. I went ashore at the same time with two of 
the men, and a third followed, the other boats not }\av- 
ing yet come up. The two men who landed with me, 
approaching the tent on the left side, were accosted by 



A STRANGE STORY OF THE SEA. IQI 

one of its occupants, who said: ' Gentlemen, I am no 
robber, take my gun. ' I was then passing by the other 
(the right) side of the tent. As I came to the front of 
it, on that'side, the two men were receiving the gun he 
offered, when his brother rushed out of the tent among 
them, stabbed the two men and turned toward the third. 
This one drew back and fired at him as the brother was 
attempting to stab him. The two who were stabbed fell 
back toward the water, crying out they were stabbed. 
Upon receiving the shot Paul Luscy turned toward 
me, who had at this moment fallen over the tent 
cord, struck me with his knife and then ran into 
the bayou. As the men who were stabbed fell back, 
the second boat landed, and the men, hearing that 
their comrades were wounded, jumped ashore and 
rushed to the tent, but Major Hozey, who was with 
them, interfered and prevented any violence, and told 
IvUscy to sit down on the ground, and that he would not 
permit him to be hurt. His brother was then brought 
out of the bayou, and was found to be seriously 
wounded. Every possible attention was paid to him, 
and he desired to be brought to town. He wished to 
abandon all his effects, but they were carefully collected 
and taken on board of the Merchant, and left with him 
at the Balize. We were not returning to the city by 
the river, and we could not bring him up. He himself 
lamented his mistake, and acknowledged that his own 
violence was the cause of his disaster, but excused him- 
self by saying he had just awakened from sleep and did 
not know what had happened. 

' ' There were no men but part of the crew of the first 
boat on the bank until after the whole scuffle was over, 
and these men had no bayonets. All that L,uscy relates 
of the crowd around him could onlv have happened 



192 NEW ORI.EANS AS IT WAS. 

after the men were stabbed by bis brother, and the 
others, exasperated at the act, had landed from the 
boats. 

" There was nothing like violence attempted or 
offered until Paul Luscy rushed out of the tent and 
stabbed the two boatmen, who were in the very act of 
receiving the gun which I^uscy had offered up of his own 
accord, and but for that act of violence they would not 
have been disturbed. 

" Persifor F. Smith. 

"June 17, 1841." 

After an examination before the Mayor, General 
Smith and Major Hozey were held to bail in the sum oi 
$5000 each for their appearance before the Criminal 
Court on a charge of manslaughter. It is needless to 
say that the grand jury subsequently ignored the bill, 
and that they were honorably discharged. 

Thus ended a dramatic episode, connected with what 
was supposed to have been the tragic fate of the crew 
and passengers of the ill-fated ship Charles. What had 
become of them, and to what destiny they had been 
doomed still remained a mystery — a mystery which it 
will be the province of the following pages to clear up. 

The judicial investigation that led to the enlargement 
of the prisoners charged with the killing of poor Luscy, 
had in no wise tended to allay public excitement or 
curiosity. The mystery seemed as far from a solution 
as on the day when the facts were first reported to the 
authorities. None of the various expeditionary forces, 
set on foot, had been successful in discovering any, the 
least, clew to the singular affair, and comments and con- 
jectures flew about as wildly as ever. Even the French 



A STRANGE STORY OF THE SEA. I93 

Consul had advised the war ships of his nation stationed 
at Vera Cruz and Havana to be on the alert for the 
mutinied crew or supposed pirates. The " Dunois," 
being the lightest vessel of the squadron, was accord- 
ingly detached. Of the various rumors set afloat, the 
following "canard" will serve as a no uncommon 
specimen. We copy from a contemporary : 

"A gentleman of this city informs us that while en- 
deavoring to hire a boat on the levee Thursday last, the 
master of the boat, for the hire of which he was in 
treaty, mentioned that he knew an individual who 
could furnish a better clew to the late piratical deeds 
than had been discovered by all the expeditions. On 
being asked who that person was, he pointed out a 
Frenchman on board another smack. He added that 
the Frenchman had been eight days coming up the 
river, and that a day or two previous to his starting on 
his return, he had discovered three dead bodies, two of 
which were floating in a creek on a small island in the 
vicinity of the Southwest Pass, and a third was half 
buried in the marsh. On examining these bodies, it 
was seen that they bore the appearance of having been 
stabbed with bowie knives, and had evidently not been 
dead more than a few hours. He further stated that a 
' black flag ' had been discovered on the island. The 
fisherman, alarmed, left the spot and made the best of 
his way homeward. 

"This statement our informant was obliged to receive 
at second hand, as he was unable to speak French to the 
individual who furnished the information. At our re- 
quest, the gentleman called yesterday on Recorder Bald- 
win, and laid before him the above narrative. The 
Frenchman, who is master of the schooner boat Hornet, 
was immediately brought before the recorder and sub- 



194 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

stantiated the statements just made. The matter will 
doul>tless undergo further examination." 

Another rumor, absurd and cruel in its character, ob- 
tained crtdence with a certain class, and associated the 
name of Captain Reybaud with the alleged act of piracy. 
The charge was repeated in one or two of our local 
papers, and hn.d no other foundation than the well 
known character of the Mexican corsair for prowess and 
acts of daring. It will be remembered that many years 
previous, the commodore and crew had been prosecuted 
for piracy in American waters, and this former incident 
had no doubt led to the belief that the one-armed "tar" 
had resumed his predatory habits. Reybaud had a host 
af friends in the city, unwilling to allow this stigma to 
rest upon his honor, and accordingly such men as Ar- 
mand Pitot, Charles Boudousquie, C. E. Forstall, F. 
G-rima, E. Montegut, G. Lafon, Amedee Ducatel and 
[ohn ly. Lewis protested in the Coiirier against the ac- 
cusation as groundless and uncharitable, and the more 
reprehensible as being preferred against an absent man, 
who at that very time was in Mexico, in the capital of 
the new Republic of Yucatan, where he was discharg- 
ing the functions of Secretary of the Navy. 

Thus, for days and days, did perplexity succeed per- 
plexity, and all hope of ever probing the mysterious 
depths of the transaction was fast passing away, when 
at last, and unexpectedly, on the 25th of June, 1841, 
tidings reached New Orleans through Charleston papers 
that " Captain Gorham, late master of the ship Charles, 
and his crew had arrived in the port of Charleston as 
passengers in the schooner Ann, from Attakapas. " 

They gave the following account of their adventures : 
The ship Charles sailed from New Orleans on the ist of 



A STRANGE STORY OF THE SEA. I95 

June, with a cargo of timber and staves, and twenty 
passengers for Bordeaux. On the night of the 3d, when 
about fifty miles from the bar, the ship sprang a leak, 
and, in spite of incessant labor at the pumps, by 2 o'clock 
in the morning there was two and one-half feet of water 
in the hold. The crew and passengers became terribly 
alarmed. A consultation was held with them, and it 
was determined to return to New Orleans. The wind at 
the time was very light, at about north, the Balize bear- 
ing north b}' west. A new fear arose. The crew were 
wearied out with labor at the pumps, and, as the water 
was gaining on them, they thought the ship would fill 
and go down before they could reach a port. 

The French ship Louis Quatorze was at the time bul 
a short distance off, and the passengers insisted on being 
put on board of her. She was bound for Havre. A boat 
was immediately dispatched to her from the Charles to 
ascertain if the captain would receive them. He con- 
sented, and also tendered the use of his boats to aid in 
embarking them. This was all happily effected, bul 
gave no sort of relief to the .ship Charles, as the watei 
in the hold looked more gloomy and threatening. Aftei 
taking a long look at it, the captain and crew came to 
the unanimous determination to abandon the ship, which 
they accordinglj^ did on the morning of the 4th, and 
proceeded on board the I^ouis Quatorze. Finding the 
boats of the Charles insufficient in number to carry them 
all to the nearest port. Captain Gorham desired the cap- 
tain of the French ship to haul up, in hopes of meeting 
some vessel bound for New Orleans or some other port 
of the Gulf. This he did for two hours, when, perceiv- 
ing no sail in sight, he concluded to bear away for Ha- 
vana. On the morning of the loth they fell in with the 
schooner Ann, from Attakapas for Portsmouth, N. H., 



196 NEW ORI.EANS AS IT WAS. 

on board of which Captain Gorham and crew embarked. 
But their adventures were not yet ended. The Ann was 
struck by lightning off Cape Hatteras, and so seriously 
injured as to render it expedient to turn back to Charles- 
ton, where she arrived in a very leaky condition on the 
1 8th. 

Some of the passengers signed the following certifi- 
cate: 

"The undersigned passengers, on board the ship 
Charles, Captain Gorham, declare that on the 3d of 
June, about 8 o'clock p. m., a leak was discovered, 
which increased so much in the night that they (the 
passengers) demanded of the captain to send them on 
board the ship lyouis Quatorze, which was at a little 
distance. The danger was so imminent that Captain 
Gorham acceded at once to our demand, and was him- 
self under the necessity of abandoning the ship. 

"This is to certify that Captain Gorham did not 
abandon the ship until he found it impossible to save 
her, and that we have given him this paper to serve him 
in case of necessity. 

"Given on board the ship L,ouis Quatorze, in the Gulf 
of Mexico, the loth of June, 1841," 

(Signatures. ) 

The circumstances connected with the abandonment 
of a ship, unable from the peculiar character of her 
freight to sink under the heaviest stress of weather, cre- 
ated in Charleston strong suspicions of an attempt at 
barratry. Captain Gorham, therefore, demanded an in- 
vestigation, which was held before Judge Gilchrist, and 
of which the following was the result : 

The captain, his two mates and two of the crew were 
examined, as also a passenger on board the schooner 



A STRANGE STORY OP THK SKA. 1 97 

and some of her crew, and the schooner herself was 
searched by the United States marshal. The Mayor was 
present at the examination, and the city attorney, G. B. 
Eckhard, assisted the United vStates district attorney. 
Kvery precaution, it was thought, was taken to obtain 
the truth. Every witness, except the one undergoing 
examination for the time, was excluded from the court- 
room. The inquiry occupied about four hours, and re- 
sulted in the declaration of the judge that he was satis- 
fied there was no ground for any imputation upon the 
captain and crew. In the course of the proceedings it 
appeared that several of the passengers of the lyouis 
Quatorze had written letters to their friends in the 
United States, and entrusted them to Captain Gorham 
to be mailed at any port he should first reach. Three 
of these letters were produced and offered to be opened, 
if his honor thought the situation and circumstances of 
Captain Gorham required their seals to be broken. This, 
however, the judge declined doing. A bill of exchange, 
drawn by Captain Gorham on board the Ivouis XIV, up- 
on the owners of the Charles, endorsed by the captain of 
that ship, was also produced to show how the matter had 
been arranged for the conveyance of the passengers. 
The bill of exchange stated the object for which it was 
drawn, and Captain Gorham declared that the captain of 
the Louis Quatorze had entrusted it to him to forward to 
her owners, the other two bills of the set having been 
left on board. The circumstances of the bill of ex- 
change and letters were brought out in a manner that 
showed that Captain Gorham was not conscious of their 
importance, he having closed his account of all the facts 
deemed important by him, without adverting to them. 
Among other things mentioned by the captain to the 
authorities of Charleston was an explanation to the effect 



198 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

that the blood found in the cabin was the result of a cut 
in his hand whilst breaking off the neck of a bottle of 
porter, and the blood on the deck, near the scuttles, was 
that of the mate, who had wounde*.. himself while mak- 
ing a thole pm for the launch. 

Though the mystery attending the fate of the crew 
and passengers of the ship Charles was satisfactorily 
cleared up, so far as the charge of mutiny or piracy was 
involved, nothing could disabuse the public mind of the 
suspicion that there lurked at the bottom of the affair 
some evil design, which time would ultimately unearth. 
Of the private character or antecedents of the " Yankee 
skipper" nothing was positively known, bu«t no man in 
his senses could believe that a ship officer, without some 
sinister purpose in view, would, within sight of the Ba- 
lize, and with constant opportunities of communicating 
his condition to some of the towboats frequently cruising 
about, have adopted the preposterous resolution of 
abandoning a vessel which, from the nature of her 
cargo, could not sink, and of leaving her to be discov- 
ered under circumstances which naturally inspired the 
darkest forebodings. Said a New Orleans contempo- 
rary : 

"The more we reflect on the conduct of Captain Gor- 
ham in abandoning his ship, the more we are astonished 
and indignant. If we felt disposed to overlook his de- 
sertion of the vessel under circumstances which, as a 
seafaring man, he should have known, exempted him 
from danger, we would still be compelled to condemn 
him for not leaving on board a single line by which the 
facts of the case might have been ascertained. A few 
words written in his logbook, a letter left on the table in 
the cabin, would have spared the friends and relatives 
of the passengers the most cruel anguish, the city au- 



A STRANGE STORY OF THE SEA. 1 99 

thorities a very heavy expense and an innocent indi- 
vidual the loss of life by a deplorable mistake. For all 
this is Captain Gorham responsible. A fearful weight 
of accountability attaches to his infamous conduct. If 
we have a counsel to offer him, it is to avoid Louisiana 
in all his future peregrinations. We know not to what 
extremities the execration of our citizens would impel 
them, if the guilty author of so much mischief were in 
their power." 

In the course of time, as the name of Gorham acquired 
a world-wide notoriet)^ information began to reach us 
from different sources bearing upon his reputation and 
previous conduct. The slang term "crooked," now a 
pure Americanism, fully conveys the opinion in which 
he was held by those who knew him best. The papers 
of the country continued to teem with occurrences of his 
past life, and from them I cull the following extracts. 
The New York Evcnhip; Post thus describes him : 

" If the captain of the Charles be the same Captain 
Gorham, from Bangor, Me., who, a few years since, with 
his brother-in-law and some others, desperate characters, 
moved into Oswego, in this State, where his store was 
fired under such circumstances — /. e. , to recover a large 
amount of insurance — that public opinion compelled him 
to leave the place : who, subsequently, was indicted by a 
grand jury of Buffalo on a suspicion of murdering his 
own child, by administering to it an excessive amount 
of laudanum, and who was cleared by the non-appear- 
ance at the trial of his wife, who, it was supposed, he 
attempted to kill with a dose of arsenic, to get rid of her 
evidence — we say, if this be the same individual, he is 
certainly not too good to have been engaged in such an 
affair as the New Orleans capers describe." 



20O NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

^\\^ Journal of Commerce (New York) furnishes the 
following contribution to the man's history: 

"The nameof CaptainWm. Gorham, Jr., if the whole 
and exclusive ownership of it belongs to one man, is 
something of a treasure. For Captain Wm. Gorham, 
Jr., master of the brig Susan Elizabeth, in cominghome 
from Buenos Ayres, in 1839, went ashore, near Bath, 
Me. , to the great damage of the underwriters in this 
city. The captain on that occasion acted, of course, as 
agent for 'whoever it might concern,' sold the vessel 
and cargo, put the money in his pocket, and has not to 
this day proceeded further in his agency." 

That this consummate scoundrel had meditated a 
breach of trust, an act of barratry, to the prejudice of 
his employers, there can hardly be entertained an earthly 
doubt. His plan, after leaving the water-logged ship, 
was to proceed at once to some port within a short dis- 
tance from this city, whence it would have been an easy 
matter to ascertain its movements, follow it to port, and 
realize the proceeds at an admiralty sale. Hence, when 
the opportunity of reaching Havana offered itself, he 
gladly availed himself of it, but his subsequent transfer 
to, and the stroke of lightning that arrested the course 
of, the Attakapas craft also blasted and shattered his 
hopes. For, weeks and weeks were consumed by the crip- 
pled vessel in reaching a harbor, and during that time 
the alarm had been sounded and suspicion aroused in 
every port. When he reached Charleston the authorities 
were already cognieaut of the singular facts attending the 
case, and, content with securing his liberty, Gorham was 
compelled to renounce his criminal project. Such is the 
theory which the affair naturally presents, and which 
was subsequently adopted by the press generally. 



A STRANGE STORY OF THE SEA. 20I 

Piracy in those days was not a matter of such unfre- 
quent occurrence as at this period we may be apt to 
imagine, though this species of crime, owing to the 
stern and repressive measures taken by the Federal 
government, had much abated. Hence the interest 
taken by our leading citizens and public functionaries 
in levying forces and issuing armed expeditions. Gen- 
eral Persifor F. Smith was by no means an alarmist or 
a poetical dreamer, but a practical, matter-of-fact and 
courageous citizen. He knew from experience that the 
Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean sea had swarmed in 
times not very remote with armed vessels of a question- 
able character, and whether sailing under a black flag 
or the revolutionary pennant of some neighboring re- 
public, their deeds of blood and rapine had been equally 
atrocious. No one regretted more than he did the un- 
timely ending of the unfortunate lyuscy, for his heart 
was as kind and as soft as a woman's, though stern and 
unrelenting to an enemy. lyouisianians are proud of 
him and of his fame, nobly achieved under the frowning 
battlements of Mexico's fortresses! 



CHAPTER XII. 



LAFAYETTE SQUARE. 



I propose in this chapter to recall old reminiscences 
anent the square opposite to the City Hall, now the 
pride and glory of that magnificent faubourg which 
sprang into existence like a helmeted giant in the arena 
of Progress, through the genius and persevering indus- 
try of such hardy pioneers as Sam J. Peters, J. P. Cald- 
well, Wm. Freret and other kindred spirits. 

As far back as my personal recollections on this sub- 
ject reach, lyafayette Square in 1836 was a rural patch 
in the motley quilt of brick and mortar, stone, wood and 
mud that covered the superficies of the Second Munici- 
pality. It was a small but pretty landscape picture, set 
in a frame composed of various and ill-assorted mate- 
rials. But, limited in extent as it was, it was almost 
the only place within the burg which greeted the eye of 
spring's approach in all its verdure and vitality; of sum- 
mer's advent in the luxuriance of its foliage; of autumn's 
days of haze and subdued sunshine, and of winter's 
cheerless nudity. As was tersely remarked by one of 
the members of the City Council, it was the only pan- 
orama which presented the up-town denizens with a 
picture of the shiftings of the seasons, shmving winter's 
sojourn to be the shortest, for — 

" Here smiling spring its earliest visit pays, 
And parting summer's lingering bloom delays." 

202 



LAFAYETTE SQUARE. 203 

Considering the mania that prevailed for converting 
every spot of the "new city" to purposes of business 
or uses of thrift, perhaps the people should have been 
thankful that even this small area had been left them, 
to remind them of God's blessed world abroad, and 
to breathe an atmosphere not wholly noxious 01 
vitiated. 

It was the resort of citizens of all ages and of all 
classes. It was the Parnassus of poets, the Mecca ol 
loafers, the Elysian Fields of juveniles, the Sylvan 
Shade of lovers, and the Academic Grove of peripatetic 
philosophers. 

In the morning, shortly after the sun had emerged 
from the horizon, this small plat of ground was made to 
re-echo the cheery laughter of hundreds of the merry 
babes who, the owners of round, rosy faces in charge of 
clean, attentive and affectionate nurses, made the square 
a scene of juvenile contentment, while others, gambol- 
ing under the sycamores, in the tall, rank grass, chased 
gaudy-wanged butterflies or played a thousand of those 
fantastic pranks from which childhood derives such in- 
terest and amusement. At that time, too, it was not an 
uncommon occurrence to see a few dyspeptic gentlemen 
and ladies of an uncertain age promenading along the 
few graveled walks of the resort, some perusing a work 
on dietetics, others reading James' last novel, or per- 
haps a work on woman's rights. 

From twelve to one the square was all life, hilarity, 
animation. This was the hour when 

" Noisy children just let loose from school " 

made it their play-ground, and when with all the hearty 
joj'ousness of uncaged birds, or the sportiveness of lamb- 
kins, they frisked, leaped, romped and capered till their 



204 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

hour's school recess called them back to study. Here, 
a group playing leap-frog ; there, a party engaged at 
battledore. Here, a pair of juvenile gladiators wrestling, 
and there again, during the Mexican war, a crowd play- 
ing at soldiers, divided into two opposite factions, of 
course ; one led by a bluff, chubby boy, who not inaptly 
personated General Taylor ; the other, by a sallow, 
dark-eyed youth, travestying Santa Anna. Happy days 
of boyhood ! Who, in mature age, is he who, in witness- 
ing the gambols of those guileless youths, does not re- 
member that he, too, was once a boy, when not one of 
the world's dark clouds had cast their shadows before 
him? 

As a general rule, from noon till evening, the square, 
comparatively speaking, was deserted. Some poor, 
fatigued laborer, in the meantime, might be seen taking 
his siesta under the shadow of one of its trees, or a loaf- 
ing habitue, lying on his back in the dense grass, con- 
templating the blue firmament, wondering if the regions 
beyond it were inhabited, and if the people overhead 
got their liquor on tick. Toward evening, and when the 
sun had abated much of his noontide vigor, the nurses 
and their interesting young charges would again make 
their appearance and move about the square, enlivening 
the scene with their merry shouts and joyous dancing. 
The scene was picturesque in the extreme, and hundreds 
of staid old denizens, reclining on the old, worn-out rustic 
benches, martyrs of whittling propensities, would view 
the blithesome capers with unalloyed peals of laughter. 
But when the shades of night began to fall, when the 
cerulean heavens became studded with nature's dia- 
monds, when the pale moon shone placidly on things 
below, and when the light transparent clouds floated 
above, like the congealed breath of anarels. then was the 



tAFAYETTE SQUARE. 205 

time that Ivafayette Square was the point of attraction. 
Then it was that 

" The seats beneath the shade, 

For talking age and whispering lovers made," 

had their happy and busy occupants. Then it was that 
the poet, as he paced the less frequented walks wooed 
the muses and composed " ballads to his mistress' eye- 
brows." Then it was that scheming politicians, cross- 
ing over from the old, dingy municipal Hall on the op- 
posite street, met to discuss and determine the plans 
of the approaching campaign. Then it was that poor 
creatures, the exhausted state of whose finances made 
it inconvenient for them to seek a private lodging, en- 
deavored to seek a cozy spot for the night. Then it was 
that non-paying boarders shaped and moulded into apol- 
ogetic forms excuses to their landladies for their invol- 
untary adoption of the credit system. Then it was that 
a couple of sagacious " Ousel Owls " — a mysterious or- 
ganization much in vogue during the latter part of the 
40s — might be seen concerting their schemes for the ap- 
proaching " buffalo hunt " in the Sierra Madre regions. 
Then it was that Cupid, like an expert archer, sat con- 
cealed among the branches of almost every tree, fixing 
arrows into the bosoms of votaries, who sat on the 
benches underneath. Then it was that many an Anglo- 
Saxon Othello upbraided his Desdemona with incon- 
stancy, and many a Romeo, under the guise of a brawny 
Celtic drayman, poured, in impassioned but unvarnished 
accents, the story of his love into the ear of a gentle 
Juliet by his side, who had but just escaped from a 
neighboring kitchen ! 

After the firing of the cannon at g o'clock, which was 
the curfew signal for honest people to repair to their 
homes, the crowds would begin perceptibly to thin. 



206 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

After midnight nothing was heard in the deserted park 
save the lively chirruping of the katydid or the hoarse, 
nasal breathing of some poor houseless vagrant, asleep 
on a bench. Said the Delta, nearly a half century ago : 

" If the Scotchman blessed the Duke of Argyle for 
erecting milestones in his country, we may well call for 
a benison on him who originated lyafayette Square, and 
on the Council which tends and beautifies it. Should 
that time ever come, so often predicted by a distin 
guished financier (Samuel J. Peters), when our Council 
will have a surplus of revenue, we trust that due atten- 
tion will be paid to Lafayette Square ; that founts of 
crystal waters will shoot forth their liquid streams from 
its angles, and that marble statues of art's finest sculp- 
ture will ornament its centre. ' ' 

This prophecy has rrever been fully realized. To Mr. 
Frank Howard is this park indebted for many improve- 
ments that we now behold — the planting of exotic and 
acclimated trees, and the perforation of an artesian well, 
whose limpid waters have unfortunately ceased to flow. 
To the energy of Thomas Agnew — one of the most 
zealous and honest administrators that the city has eve- 
possessed — are we indebted for the beautiful Schillingei 
walks wdiich now intersect it. A few more Howards 
and a few more Agnews — men of such calibre — would in 
a few 3'ears place New Orleans in the fore rank of the 
beautiful cities of the Union. Pluck, energy and intelli- 
gence are the only levers to reach this desideratum. 

The erection of the statue of Franklin in the centre of 
the square over twentj^ years ago is due almost exclu- 
sively to the energy of Charles A. Weed, erstwhile 
proprietor of the New Orleans Times, since merged with 
the Democrat, and his enterprising associate, the late 



LAFAYETTE SQUARE. 207 

W. H. C. King. This work of art has a peculiar 
history, and is the production of Hiram Powers' genius. 
When, many years ago, this American sculptor was 
struggling at Rome in the pursuit of his vocation, 
young, inexperienced and comparatively friendless, but 
evincing an aptitude that promised eventual success and 
fame, several public-spirited citizens of New Orleans, 
with the view of encouraging his youthful efforts and 
alleviating his pecuniary embarrassments, came together 
and determined to subscribe the sum of $10,000, for a 
statue of the immortal sage and philosopher. The order 
was, in consequence, given and accepted, and the sum 
of $5000 forwarded to the sculptor in part payment. As 
years rolled on. Powers, oblivious of his early New 
Orleans friends, neglected his contract, and under one 
pretence or another — among others, that of the uncer- 
tainty of ever obtaining full remuneration — flatly refused, 
it is said, to comply with his agreement. It was at this 
juncture that Mr. Weed forwarded the amount and 
secured the completion of the work. 

The physiognomy of the environments of Ivafayette 
Square is entirely different to-day from what it was' a1 
that period. The City Hall, the Howard mansion, the 
Moresque Building, Odd Fellows' Hall, the old Criminal 
Court building are all structures of comparatively recent 
date. The City Hall was located where now stands 
Soule's College, the Recorder's Court and Municipal 
Council holding their sessions up stairs. The lower 
floor was occupied by the Department of Police, the 
captain's office directly fronting St. Charles street, 
while the rear was used as a station or temporary prison. 
This edifice has undergone outwardly but few modifica- 
tions. 

Such is a brief historical outline of this beautiful little 



208 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

park, so much admired by strangers. Under the careful 
training and commendable attention of Administrator 
Gauche the place is daily improving, and the gay 
flower shubs, together with the tropical plants that are 
to be added, will soon offer us a picture most grateful to 
the eye. 




I mill 




ST. PHILIP STREET THEATRE, ISIO^ 
Copied from Design in City Library. 




STATE OR GOVERNMENT HOUSE, 176' 
From Design in City Library, 



CHAPTER XIII. 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 



STORY OF BRAS COUPE— THE CUNNING OF A SLAVE — 
CABARETS — REMINISCENCES OF THE OLD POLICE — AN 
INCIDENT ILLUSTRATING THE CUSTOMS OF THE CHOC- 
TAWS — THE FOURTH OF JULY IN THE CAMP STREET 
THEATRE — YANKEE DOODLE — ANECDOTE OF THE ELDER 
BOOTH — FANNY ELLSLER CHARIVARIED — THE FRENCH 
" CRAZE " — LAST DAYS OF ROFFIGNAC. 



At a period when the institution of slavery, viewed 
under its most humanitarian aspect, had become one of 
the pillars of our prosperity and progress, fostered by a 
spirit of benevolence and patriarchal affection, a salient 
feature of the times was the frequency with which our 
African bondsmen would hie themselves into the deep- 
est recesses of our forests to escape thraldom for a short 
space of time, and enjoy a season of comparative rest. 
While yet a boy, I distinctly remember the proximity 
of the woods to the sparse habitations that fringed the 
outskirts of the town. Marais street was then deemed 
the border land lying between terra firma and " tremb- 
ling prairie," an impenetrable morass, beyond which 
none but experienced hunters or fugitives ventured to 
enter. In the darkest parts of these thickets and along 
the margin of some sluggish bayou or coiUee, a rude hut 

209 



2IO NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

was occasionall}^ to be found, hastily thrown up with 
willow branches, and securely sheltered from wind and 
rain by latanier or palmetto leaves, deftly worked into 
the roof. This was the usual habitation of the runaway 
negro, until he was driven to seek a new shelter by the 
professional "slave catcher" with his pack of trained 
bloodhounds. 

Even when not pursued, these outlaws were com- 
pelled to emerge at night from their, solitary haunts in 
quest of nourishment. Hence it was that New Orleans, 
despi4;e the efforts of an inadequate police, became the 
scene of nocturnal thefts, robberies and assassinations. 
With the spoils and money thus obtained, a "cabaret " 
was always ready to supply the hunted-down outcast 
with powder, shot, whisky and such other articles as 
were required for his most pressing wants. It was only 
when, in the course of years, the city had extended its 
habitable limits beyond Claiborne street that these bold 
refugees sought new quarters along the borders of Lake 
Pontchartrain, in the rear of the parishes of St. Bernard 
and Jefferson. 

One of these I well remember, from the terror which 
he inspired into the stoutest hearts. His reputation for 
audacity and deeds of ferocity was not inferior to that of 
" Fra Diavolo," the hero of Italian romance, and, if the 
truth must be told, no one cared to face this bandit in 
the woods. The account given of him by Cable is pure 
fiction. His name was Squier. He was owned by 
General William De Buys, than whom no kinder or 
more humane master ever lived. The General, in fact, 
who was greatly attached to him, had petted and com- 
pletely spoiled the fellow. Fond of field sports, he had 
made him his huntsman and usual attendant. He in- 
dulged him in every one of those douceurs which 



OLD LOUIwSIANA DAYS. 211 

favorite servants were wont to enjoy ; but these acts of 
kindness, instead of generating gratitude and love, only- 
resulted, such was the negro's savage nature, in devel- 
oping a spirit of revolt and insubordination. To escape 
from an existence of ease and indolence into one of strife 
and constant danger became a chronic passion, and 
although frequently caught and punished he would 
relapse as often into his inveterate habit. On one occa- 
sion, when pursued by a patrol of white planters, 
headed by Mr. Fleitas, of St. Bernard, he bravely 
stood at bay and defied capture, until he was laid low 
by a heavy charge of buckshot. From the effect of the 
wound his arm was amputated, and hence the origin of 
the surname of Bras Coupe, by which he was known 
thereafter. 

For a series of years his escapes, adroit devices to baf- 
fle pursuers, and manifold crimes were the subject of 
entertainment not only in the public prints, but even in 
the home circle. He seemed to be endowed with the 
gift of ubiquity. No hound could follow his scent, no 
officer keep on his trail. If seen in one place, he was 
soon to be met miles away, laughing at his would-be 
captors. Even around the domestic hearth, his name of 
" Bras Coupe " became a familiar word, pronounced in 
hushed and subdued tones to frighten children. Rewards 
were offered for his capture, dead or alive, but no one 
had as yet been found daring enough to confront the 
fearless brigand. 

On April 7, 1837, the following notice appeared in 
one of the city prints : " The negro, Squier, notorious 
for the crimes and cruelties he has committed in the 
neighborhood of the Bayou St. John, has at last atoned 
for them. Yesterday two men belonging to the guard 
of the First Municipality were hunting rabbits on the 



212 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

land of Mr. L. Allard (now the Lower City Park), on 
the other side of the bayou. Impelled by the ardor of 
the chase, one of them pushed into the swamp some- 
what further than his comrade. What was his surprise 
to be stopped, not by the game he was pursuing, but by 
a stout fellow taking aim at him with a gun ! The gun 
was fired at a distance of fifteen paces, and fortunately 
missed its object. Not entirely a novice in these things, 
the guardsmen quickly returned the compliment, and 
with success. Squier, although severely wounded, at- 
tempted to escape by running, but was soon overtaken, 
and died under his blows. We understand that a de- 
tachment of the guard will this day be dispatched to 
find the body." 

This announcement was received with satisfaction by 
some, with incredulity by others. Cunning and desperate 
as Bras Coupe was known to be, it was generally believed 
that he had succeeded with his usual luck in effecting 
his escape, notwithstanding the severe blows which he 
had been reported to have received. On the follow- 
ing day an armed posse repaired to the spot, accompa- 
nied by the police officers, but despite the most diligent 
search through the devious paths of the cyprt^re, no 
trace of the criminal could be detected, although the 
spot was searched where the conflict was said to have 
taken place. A trail of blood, soon lost in the slimy 
waters of the marsh, furnished the only evidence of his 
presumed fate. 

This incident was put down as a police canard, and 
for some time the matter remained shrouded in mystery. 
Scouting parties, formed at intervals with the view of 
discovering his retreat, had been sent out, but had inva- 
riably returned, disappointed and worn out with fatigue. 
Week followed week without any additional disclosures, 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 213 

until the public mind, engaged in other subjects, had 
begun to forget the hero and his exploits, when reliable 
news of his tragic death unexpectedly reached New Or- 
leans, 

It would be amusing to describe in detail the excite- 
ment which the event produced. Not only on 'change 
or at Hewlett's, but in the workshops, markets, and 
even among families was the subject discussed. A 
stranger to our city and customs, judging from the gen- 
eral commotion, would have believed that some extra- 
ordinary event had just occurred. The daring, the in- 
solence and the utter contempt for law which Bras Coiipt 
had ever exhibited were freely commented upon. The 
wound he had once received at the hands of Mr. Flei- 
tas, and the circumstances connected with his formei 
capture, confinement and escape from the hospital were 
common subjects of gossip. It was remembered how, 
when lying prostrate after the surgical operation which 
had bereft him of a limb, and when reduced by an at- 
tack of dysentery to the very verge of death, he had 
eluded the vigilance of the nurses by flinging himself 
out of an open window. It was also related how, on 
another occasion, he had captured a negress who, on 
effecting her escape from his camp, reported an act of 
ferocity of which she had been made an unwilling wit- 
ness. The story concerned the fate of an Irish woman 
whom he had forcibly carried into the woods, detained 
for several days, tied to a tree and finally shot to death. 

It was on a Monday, July 17, 1837, that one Fran- 
cisco Garcia, while fishing at the mouth of lyittle river, 
on I^ake Pontchartrain, met the black desperado. The 
former had got out of his pirogue to reach for a fish car, 
which he had temporarily left ashore, when, just as he 
was about to possess himself of the box, he heard the 



214 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

explosion of a fulminating cap. Happening, fortu- 
nately, to be holding an iron handspike, to which he was 
in the habit of fastening his boat, he rushed forward 
about seven paces, and came upon a man concealed 
behind the trunk of a fallen tree, in the act of resetting 
a fresh cap, with his right hand and teeth. Losing no 
time, the Spanish fisherman struck him three times with 
his ponderous bar, and felled him dead to the ground. 

Such was the account given by Garcia, although there 
were many persons who, conversant with the charactei 
of the slayer, affirmed that Bras Coupe'' s death was the 
result of treachery, as Garcia was his usual purveyoi 
and friend. The conviction was that Garcia, seduced 
by the hope of a large reward, had murdered the man 
whom he had promised to protect, and whom he had 
found asleep. 

Be this as it may, the Spaniard, on accomplishing the 
deed, dumped his valuable freight into the boat and 
proceeded with it to New Orleans. Reaching Milne- 
burg, the body was thence conveyed to the front of the 
Mayor's office, where Denis Prieur, the then chief ex- 
ecutive of the city, ordered it to be exposed to public 
view on the Place d' Amies, opposite. That thousands 
and thousands rushed to that historic square to take a 
look at the ghastly remains is a matter of notoriety. No 
Mardi Gras procession, no special pageant that I know 
of, ever attracted such surging crowds as were witnessed 
under that broiling, solstitial sun. Men, w'omen, chil- 
dren ; whites and blacks, freedmen and slaves ; pro- 
fessional men and laborers in their working blouses, all 
seemed to have gathered there to satisfy their morbid 
curiosity. The body, with its crushed and mangled 
head, in a state of rapid decomposition, remained in that 
condition from i o'clock in the evening until the dark- 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS, 21 ^ 

iiess of approaching night commanded its removal to 
Potter's Field. The still unhealed and gaping wounds, 
alleged to have been inflicted by the city guard, who 
had reported him dead, made the spectacle still more 
hideous. 

It was generally believed at the time that the differenl 
municipalities had offered liberal rewards for Bra^ 
Coupe's capture, dead or alive, and Garcia was much 
congratulated upon his good luck ; but, when the day 
for settling came, it was ascertained that only the sec- 
tion below Esplanade street had made any provision foi 
the event, whereupon the sum of $250 was immediately 
paid the claimant, as promised in the proclamation. 

This is a strange story, and it will read more strangely, 
perhaps, in the eye of the present and growing genera- 
tion ; but the institution of slavery was one pregnant 
with constantly recurring changes and new phases. 
Without entering into any discussion on the abstract 
right and justice of keeping in bondage a class oi 
people, manifestly designed by the Creator to be " draw- 
ers of water and hewers of wood," it is obvious that 
the form of servitude under which they lived, regarded 
from the standpoint of practical philanthropy, was a 
vast improvement on their original condition. It is 
true that here and there a cruel and barbarous task- 
master was occasionally to be fouud, but these instances, 
it must be admitted, formed the exception and not the 
rule, for every lyouisianian positively knows that the 
planters who thus erred, fell under the ban of social 
reprobation for that very cause. Whoever attentively 
reads the old Black Code will observe how stringent 
were the laws for the protection of the slave. And while 
I am upon this subject, let me be permitted to say as an 
historical fact that no master was ever more exacting. 



2l6 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

despotic, nay, cruel to the negro, than the planter or 
farmer of African extraction — an anomaly, it is true, 
but still a fact. 

But a truce to digression. I shall now proceed to re- 
late another story. The inner character of slavery times 
can only be understood by illustrations. Here is a case 
exemplifying the development of cunning and hypoc- 
risy in the negro race, which the " institution " encour- 
aged. 

A certain mulatto, conceiving the design of escaping 
servitude by concealing himself in one of the numerous 
packets plying between this port and western cities, hit 
upon an expedient to provisionally rid himself of his 
master, whose presence was the only obstacle to his plan. 
To kill him or do him such bodily injury as might dis- 
able him for a time was out of the question, but to put 
him out of the way by the operation of the law was a 
master stroke worthy of his Senegambian ingenuity. It 
happened that New Orleans at that time (1832) was in- 
fested by a band of expert counterfeiters, whose skill 
had baffled the lynx-eyed scrutiny of our bankers and 
merchant princes, and for the arrest of whom the offi- 
cers of the United States Bank had offered a large re- 
ward. The trail of these criminals had been traced to 
this city, but the efforts of the police, as usual at that 
period, had proved wholly ineffective. 

One day Denis Prieur, who, ensconced in his magis- 
terial chair, was quietly pondering over the official re- 
ports of the "City Guard" anent these shrewd miscreants, 
was awakened from, his reverie by the appearance in his 
sanctum of a colored man, respectably attired, who 
whispered to him that he desired to make a private and 
confidential communication. Being: requested to pro- 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 217 

ceed with his statement, the darkey revealed his secret. 
He said he knew a certain man in the town who had ior 
some time been holding private interviews with these 
counterfeiters, and that many things led him to believe 
that the man was a " suspect," who, if arrested, could 
impart valuable information. The Mayor was non- 
plussed. He knew the party denounced to be a just 
and upright citizen, but as his profession was that of a 
printer in the publishing office of the Bee, engaged occa- 
sionally in lithography and engraving, he deemed it 
prudent to dispatch a court o£5cer. Meanwhile, the in- 
formant, contrary to his expectations, was forcibly de- 
tained for the purpose of a confrontation, which, taking 
place a few moments afterward, revealed the strategem 
so cunningly devised. The master stood aghast at the 
impudence of his slave, and Prieur, while enjoying a 
hearty laugh over the ludicrous termination of the affair, 
sentenced the abashed culprit to be publicly whipped 
and pilloried. In his trousers pockets were found 
forged letters of manumission. 

I have had occasion in these reminiscences to advert 
sometimes to the existence of ' ' cabarets. ' ' These 
public houses of entertainment were a great eyesore and 
a serious source of danger to the peace and good order 
of society. They abounded in the vicinity of markets 
and of such other places where negroes were wont to 
congregate. The cabaret was a species of grocery, dram 
shop, gambling house and " fence " or depot for stolen 
goods, all combined. A contemporary, speaking of this 
common nuisance, described them as follows : 

' ' The whole batch of cabarets in our city merits one 
sweeping anathema. These groggeries are fruitful 
nurseries of vice and crime. Felony holds there its 



2l8 N^W ORLElANS AS IT WAS. 

headquarters, and roguery of every kind finds a safe 
retreat within these obscure recesses. We have good 
reason to believe that one-half of the cases of robbery, 
murder and arson which occur in New Orleans are 
hatched within these dens of iniquity. If they deserve 
censure from no other cause, the fact of vending liquoi 
to slaves, of encouraging gambling among the Icwei 
classes, of conniving at pilfering and other delinquen- 
cies, should be sufficient to subject them to a searching 
scrutiny and to condign punishment whenever detection 
follows. ' ' 

These social pests were mostly controlled by foreign- 
ers of a low class, chiefly Catalans, whose predilec- 
tion for negro concubines was scandalous. Several ac- 
cumulated large fortunes and became prominent citizens. 

Of the police force in " Old Louisiana Days," the 
preceding pages have given a sufiicient account. A 
more worthless and contemptible body of men never 
assumed the functions of ofiice in any other city. The 
following examples, taken at random, will better illus- 
trate : 

On the nth of July, 1831, two men, members of the 
City Guard, named Miro and Clure, were sentenced by 
the judge of the Criminal Court to two years' hard labor, 
with ball and chain, on the public streets, for having, 
under the authority of a search warrant, stolen from the 
proprietor of a cabaret the sum of $200, whieh they took 
from the drawer. Having been sent back to their 
prison quarters (then situated at the corner of St. Peter 
and Chartres) to serve their term, they contrived to 
break through the roof and descend to the street in the 
rear. They were in full view of the guardhouse, where 
no one seems to have observed them. Just as they 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. SIQ 

were about to effect their successful escape, tliey hap- 
pened to attract the attention of some laborers who were 
at work on St. Anthony Square, just back of the 
Cathedral. One of them had a dagger in his hand, and 
threatened to kill whomever should attempt to stop him ; 
but the workmen, undismayed at the sight of the knife, 
knocked him down with brickbats, and bore him off a 
prisoner. These worthies had to serve their time. 

Another incident, which happened at a later date, and 
which related to a projected attack upon the City Treas- 
urer's safe is worthy of mention. The names of the 
officers implicated were Rockwell and Greenough. It 
appears that the crime had been for a long time medi- 
tated and discussed between the parties privy to it ; but 
it also happened that during the interval every particu- 
lar connected with the scheme had been communicated 
to Captain Harper. Anxious to catch them in the act, 
he patiently awaited the development of their plans. 
On the 29th of May, 1841, he received private informa- 
tion from one of his spies that the attempt would be 
made on that night. He accordingly secured the co- 
operation of Lieutenant Winters, and together they 
repaired to Lafayette Square, where they lay per die in 
the tall grass. The municipal building occupied the 
site on which Soule's College now stands. 

After the night had partly set in, their vigilance was 
rewarded. Greenough and Rockwell, accompanied by 
another confederate, whose name is not given, appeared 
upon the scene, seemingly in close consultation. Creep- 
ing cautiously toward them, the captain overheard their 
conversation. It was then settled among themselves that 
Greenough and the confederate were to pick the lock, 
or, I should rather say, unlock it, (for they had pro- 
vided themselves with a false key) and with an axe. 



220 NKW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

which they had brought with them, were to batter down 
the fragile depositary. But one obstacle was in their 
way — the night watchman, at the door of the building. 
This man happened to be a Dutchman, faithful to his 
trust. He was a thick-headed and honest fellow, in- 
clined, however, to be exceedingly credulous. To 
Rockwell was assigned the difficult task of putting to 
sleep the vigilance of this modern Cerberus, this model 
watch-dog of the Treasury. Rockwell went to him un- 
hesitatingly, and engaged him in conversation. He 
knew Rockwell as an officer of the force, and this cir- 
cumstance alone dispelled all suspicion from his mind. 
Rockwell told him that some rowdies were disturbing 
the peace at the corner of Poydras and St. Charles, and 
he went to see about it, but hurried back to his post be- 
fore the conspirators could effect their purpose. Then 
other devices were resorted to in order to entrap the jan- 
itor, but the latter was immovable. At last, incredible 
as it may seem, Rockwell persuaded the soft-pated Teu- 
ton that there was a most extraordinary horse, of sur- 
passing size and beauty, on exhibition on Camp street, 
and offered to show it to him. Unsuspicious of any 
trickery, and fond probably of curiosities, he accepted 
the proposition, but, as the reader may imagine, this 
phenomenal quadruped, this winged Pegasus, had taken 
his aerial flight. Disappointed, they retraced their steps, 
and, as they were crossing the square, Rockwell induced 
his companion to look around for sleeping vagrants 
and suspects. He agreed to this, and the first people 
they espied in the square were Captains Harper and 
Winters, lying flat upon the grass. " Here is a loafer," 
exclaimed the Dutchman, as he poked Captain Harper's 
ribs with his wand of office, as a hint to get up and 
move toward the guardhouse. But as this course would 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 221 

have brought the watchman close to the City Hall, 
where the burglars were operating, Rockwell interposed, 
"Never mind their sleeping, leave them alone." So 
saying, he stooped over the prostrate form, and recog- 
nized his own captain, who instantly sprang to his feet 
and seized the criminal. On hearing the noise occa- 
sioned by the arrest, Greenough and his accomplice in- 
continently fled, but were subsequently lodged in jail. 
These and others, which I might relate, are extreme 
cases, it is true, but if an estimate is to be formed from 
the withering terms in which the press were in the 
habit of denouncing the police in general, specially 
during the terms of office of Nicholas Girod, Rofhgnac 
and Prieur, my criticisms will not be found unduly 
severe. 

One of the characteristic elements of which the motley 
population of New Orleans was composed in ancient 
times was the Indians of the tribe of " Chactas " 
(Choctaws). When Louisiana was originally settled 
by the French, the colonists found in the territory 
included in the grant bestowed on Law, and subsequently 
on Crozat, a nation of these warlike savages, sufficiently 
powerful to bring into the field ^ force of nearly 20,000 
braves. They lived along the lake coast, including 
Biloxi, as far as the country of the Alibamons. Under 
the influences of civilization — that is to say, of whi.sky, 
powder and tinseled jewelry — these people were induced 
to be friendly to the white settlers, and their allegiance 
often proved efficacious and opportune in the w^ars 
waged against the Natchez and Chickasaws. 

In the course of time their nation, decimated by con- 
stant warfare, disease and debauchery, dwindled away 
to such infinitesimal proportions that their influence 



222 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

entirely ceased. Push-ma-ta-ha, the last of their chiefs, 
faithful in his friendship to the American government, 
left a brilliant and honorable record. 

The history of this race and of the savages who 
inhabited Florida is an interesting study. Without 
omitting to note the profound researches of I'Abbe 
Rouquette, the subject, I may say, has been treated 
with a master hand by the late Dr. Charles Delery in a 
compendious work, which I had the privilege to read 
some time ago with great relish and profit, unfortunately 
in manuscript form. It is to be hoped that the production 
of this once prolific and versatile Creole author will see 
the light of day ere long. 

Fragments of this erratic race still exist. I have 
seen some on the prairies of St. Landry and along the 
banks of the Teche, in the vicinity of Charenton; a few 
are yet gathered in some portions of Avoyelles, but their 
principal encampment seems to have been established 
across the lake, in the neighborhood of Covington. 
They used to flock to New Orleans at times in consid- 
erable numbers, their usual places of resort in the day- 
time being the Place d' Amies and lower markets, where 
they were wont to peddle their wares. In the night- 
time they usually pitched their camp along the Bayou 
St. John. The police never arrested them for misde- 
meanors or crimes, but turned the offenders over to the 
chief of their tribe for punishment, the exemption, it 
was claimed, being based upon treat}^ stipulations or im- 
memorial usage. The following occurrence is a fact in 
point : 

In the year 1832, the master of a schooner lying in 
the Old Basin, who was about to set sail for the Tche- 
functa river, applied in the night-time to Captain Du- 
tillet, of the City Guard, for assistance against a baud 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 223 

of Indians who had taken possession of his craft and 
wanted to be conve3'ed to St. Tammany. Inquiries re- 
vealeu the fact that the party consisted of a young fel- 
low, who had recently been adjudged guilty of homi- 
cide, and that the others were the ancients and relatives 
of the deceased, whose duty it was to carry out the de- 
cree of death. According to their laws, the execution 
was to take pla.2 in the presence of the assembled tribe 
to which the culprit belonged. Another law, bearing 
on the subject, was that should the criminal escape or 
conceal himself, his next of kin was, as a matter of 
course, to undergo his punishment. Compromises were 
permissible, and ransom paid to the friends of the slain 
was recognized by their code. 

The skipper, as was to be expected, demurred under 
the circumstances to the forcible seizure of his vessel for 
any such purpose. Aided by his lieutenant, Bouseig- 
neur, Dutillet repaired to the Basin and effected the 
arrest or rathtr the release of the captive. He was 
taken to the guardhouse, where he told his story. He 
was cool and undemonstrative, and seemed to take in 
the situation as an ordinary occurrence. With the 
phlegm befitting an Indian he related to the bystanders 
in broken French that, having been attacked by three 
worthless young bucks of his nation, he had shot one to 
death and put the other two to flight. " Me kill 
Indian, me die." His name was Eh-he-lum-abe ; his 
countenance was kind and expressive. Much sympathy 
was manifested for his fate, but, aware of the fatal con- 
sequences that might result to his father, brother or son, 
he deprecated every attempt offered to save his life. 
He begged to be taken back to the schooner, where his 
squaw and children had been left. 

Moved by compassion, Dutillet proceeded to the 



2 24 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

vessel in quest of the Choctaw chiefs. After several 
long parlej^s they agreed to admit the Indian to ransom 
in the sum of |ioo. Thereupon a subscription list was 
circulated among our people, the money collected and 
the prisoner released. 

From these grave subjects let me turn for a moment 
to the theatricals and amusements of the period. 

An incident which occurred in the Camp street 
theatre may be worth recording. It is certainly charac- 
teristic of the times. 

It was a Fourth of July night, a holiday then cele- 
brated with greater eclat and outward manifestations of 
patriotism than at the present day, that this temple of 
Thespis was filled to repletion with a crowd, the 
majority of whom were backwoodsmen from the Western 
country. Great preparations had been set on foot by 
the manager to make the performance an acceptable and 
recherche affair, particularly to our musical dilettanti. 

The leader of the orchestra was an old Frenchman, 
whom I remember well. He was afflicted with almost 
complete deafness, occasioned by the explosion of a 
caisson at the battle of New Orleans, and how he man- 
aged to direct his artists with such ability has ever "been 
to me an unfathomable mystery. For several weeks he 
had had his musicians rehearsing the overture of the 
opera of " L,a Dame Blanche " — a novelty then — and 
when, after many wearisome efforts to attain perfection, 
he saw the acme of his ambition about to be crowned 
with success, visions of entranced audiences, tumults of 
applause and salvos of encore filled his imagination with 
rapture. At last, the long desired occasion, fraught 
with such pleasing anticipations, finally arrived. 

As I have already said, the house was jammed. It 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 225 

was a hilarious, promiscuous and uproarious audience. 
They had come to have fun, and fun they were deter- 
mined to have. 

Seated in front of the footlights, with waving baton in 
hand, the bent form of old man Desforges was to be seen, 
giving the three consecrated raps. The magnificent 
symphony began. Never had the music of Boieldieu 
been interpreted with such effects of pathos and sweet- 
ness, when, all of a sudden, a call for "Yankee Doodle" 
was heard from the galleries. Heedless of the interrup- 
tion, the orchestra proceeded with the music, when the 
cry of " Yankee Doodle " was taken up again, and be- 
gan to resound from dome to pit. The deafenitig noise 
reached old Desforges' ears like the murmur of a gentle 
breeze, wafting upon its wings faint echoes of applause. 
Mistaking the cause of the uproar, the musical leader 
was delighted. He had attained, as he imagined, the 
goal of his ambition, and, throwing his whole soul into 
a supreme effort, was about to give additional language 
and expression to his charmed violin, when crashes fol- 
lowing crashes gave notice that the work of demolition 
of benches and chairs had commenced, amid angry 
shouts of " Yankee Doodle." 

At this stage of pandemonium the curtain was pushed 
aside, and Mr. Caldwell made his appearance. Turn- 
ing to Mr. Desforges he shouted to him to stop. " The 
people don't want that," he said, "they want Yankee 
Doodle." 

The old man realized the situation. He stood up in 
a stupor, and only had time to gasp out, "Yankee 
Dude !" Then, stung to the quick by the affront put 
on him by the populace, he shrieked out in quick, pip- 
ing tones : "You want Yankee Dude? Well, you no 



226 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

have Yankee Dude ! Because why ? Because not nec- 
essair. " 

At this outburst of rage and pluck, the audience 
broke out into plaudits and shouts of laughter, and the 
overture ztvrs- finished without further interruption. 
They had had more fun than they had bargained for. 

This anecdote reminds me of another, the scene of 
which occurred in the same theatre, about the year 1836, 
and of which the elder Booth figured as the hero. This 
eminent tragedian, father of the gifted actor whose late 
death has bereft the American stage of one of its proud- 
est ornaments was, it may be remembered, addicted at 
times to spells of inebriety, which brought on prolonged 
attacks of mental failure. He had many friends and ac- 
quaintances in New Orleans who admired his erratic 
genius and loved his sympathetic nature. When in one 
of these convivial moods, he would indulge to such an 
excess as to completely lose all recollection of his profes- 
sional engagements or appointments. I have had fre- 
quent occasion to notice in the files of old papers 
severe and pungent criticisms upon his repeated failures 
to appear in his advertised characters, necessitating the 
substitution of one play for another. Whenever he was 
announced in the part of Richard III, his favorite char- 
acter, the attendance was so large as to exclude even 
standing room. 

It was on the occasion of one of these debauches that 
the following occurrence, not posted on the bills, took 
the whole audience by surprise. He was playing to 
Caldwell's Richmond, when, during the battle scene. 
Booth, conceiving the duel to be a reality, fought long 
and desperately, and attempted to slay his antagonist. 
Caldwell realized his danger at once and skilfully par- 
ried all his thrusts, but, finding himself hotly pressed, 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 227 

whispered to Booth, as a stage cue: "Die, Mr. Booth, 
it is time for you to fall." Straightening his apparently- 
misshapen form, and waving his gleaming sword on 
high, he exclaimed with sonorous voice : "As long as 
Richard wields this blade, he'll never die." The public 
understood the situation, and the curtain was rung down 
amid peals of laughter. 

From music and actors, I shall now turn to a theme 
interesting to the disciples of Terpsichore. The singu- 
lar adventure which befell Fanu}- EUsler in New Or- 
leans merits some attention. 

In the afternoon of May 11, 1841, a report was in- 
dustriously circulated that the celebrated danseiise in- 
tended to regale a party of "choice spirits" at the 
ordinary of the St. Charles Hotel with a magnificent 
banquet, after the close of her engagement at the 
theatre. With this proposed entertainment the general 
public had nothing to do, although, as it was then said, 
it would have been in better taste had not pains been 
taken to spread the news. lyater in the afternoon, a 
second report was started that such of her worshippers 
as had not been included in the list of invited guests 
had determined upon giving her a grand serenade, while 
the feast was going on. Very little attention was paid 
to either of these rumors until the preparations for the 
ovation had begun, and, singular as it may appear, the 
entrance into the barroom of the St. Charles Exchange 
(the most frequented place in the city) was selected as 
the rendezvous for perfecting the necessary programme 
for the out-door part of the entertainment. This natur- 
ally attracted the attention of every passer-by, each of 
whom was given to understand that a public demonstra- 
tion, similar to those that had been made in other cities. 



228 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

was to be inaugurated as a token of the adoration of the 
people of New Orleans for the divine " Sylph.". 

But a number of persons, who recollected the dis- 
graceful scenes enacted in Baltimore, some time before, 
when a score of toadies, converting themselves into 
asses, had drawn her carriage through the streets, ob- 
jected to the city of New Orleans vying in such folly 
with any other town. They, therefore, determined to 
break up the projected scheme, and to organize a 
counter serenade. The idea was a foolish one, perhaps, 
but nevertheless they supplied themselves with every 
instrument known as constituting the paraphernalia of 
a charivari band. No sooner had KHsler's admirers 
begun their musical fete than the opposition opened 
their concert of discordant sounds. They continued the 
performance, until the serenading party were compelled 
to stop. At this point, just when the contending parties 
were about coming to blows, a wag rang an alarm of 
fire, and the engines rushed to the spot, with their bells 
ringing, and put an end to the conflict. This unex- 
pected reinforcement made the anti-EUsler people 
masters of the field. Shouting and screaming, com- 
bined with the tooting of horns, the beating of drums, 
the blare of tin trumpets, enlivened the scene and drew 
thousands of spectators thereto from every quarter. 
The fire laddies, suspected by the serenaders of com- 
plicity in the plot, were assailed by the latter, but were 
in turn supported by the rioters. The scrimmage that 
ensued then assumed enormous proportions, and was 
only quelled by the engines being put to work and 
pouring streams of river water upon the combatants. 
With the exception of a few battered hats and bloody 
noses, no great injuries were sustained in this serio- 
comic battle. From one of the upper windows of the 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 229 

once famous caravansary, Fanny Ellsler, it is said, sur- 
veyed with tearful eyes the discomfitiire of her crowd of 
admirers, and left the city on the following day, fully 
impressed with the conviction that, whatever their 
faults in other respects, our people would never tolerate 
abject fawning or servile adoration. 

The French Revolution of 1830 — les trois Jours de 
Jtiillet — and the consequent accession of I,ouis Philippe 
to the throne, as "king of the French," threw our 
frien-ds of Gallic nativity into such a state of excitement 
and frenzy that the feeling was properly denominated 
the "French craze." Upon the receipt of the glad 
tidings cannon were fired, bonfires lit at every street 
corner down town, and mass meetings held, in which 
furious bombast predominated over common sense. On 
public as well as on private buildings the tri-color 
floated beside our national emblem. Nothing was to be 
heard except of the grand revolution that was to accom- 
plish great wonders for France, and draw her into a 
closer alliance with republican America. The City 
Council became infected with the prevailing fever, and 
adopted a series of resolutions appropriate to the occa- 
sion. Not even did our State Legislature, supposed to 
be a more conservative body, escape the contagion, for 
that august embodiment of concentrated wisdom went 
to the lengths of adopting an " address to the people of 
France," congratulating them upon the restoration of 
their liberties, and appointing W. C. C. Claiborne, one 
of its members, as a messen.^er in charge of the precious 
document. Not to be be'iindhand in these manifesta- 
tions of general rejoicing, our importers and merchants 
subscribed to a fund for a " dinner to be given to the 
captain of the first ship under the tri-color flag that 



230 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

should reach this port." This part of the prograinine 
was not realized until the ensuing year, under the cir- 
cumstances which I am now about to narrate. 

It was on the 7th of April, 1831, nearly nine months 
since tlie overthrow of the Bourbons, that the French 
ship Zelia, from Bordeaux, moored at her wharf oppo- 
site the Cathedral. She was the first French vessel which 
had made her appearance at our port since the glo- 
rious achievement which, to use the jargon of the period, 
had "restored to France her liberty and independence." 
Agreeably to a resolution adopted by a number of citi- 
zens, the battalion of artillery fired a salute of loi guns 
in honor of the new flag. Nor was the banquet forgot- 
ten. It went off, of course, with the eclat usual on such 
occasions and with an appropriate accompaniment of 
toasts and speeches. The ' ' Parisienne ' ' was sung in 
the midst of clashing goblets, and the succulent viands 
were literally devoured in commemoration of the 
event. 

On the day that the ship was about to leave port, on 
her homeward voyage, a large delegation of French- 
men, headed by Messieurs Auguste Douce and Pierre 
Nogues, escorted Mr. Claiborne to the vessel. On cross- 
ing the gangway leading to the deck, the plank being 
extremely narrow, Mr. Nogues, who was carrying a mag- 
nificent silk flag, tumbled over into the river ; but the 
water being shallow and the flag bearer very tall, the 
pretty and costly emblem, a donation of our fair Cre- 
oles, escaped injury, save that caused by a slight im- 
mersion in the turbid Mississippi. Mr. Claiborne took 
charge of the precious gift, as well as of the more pre- 
cious parchment-engrossed "Address," and proceeded 
on his mission. 

Speaking of the political errand of the last named gen- 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 23 1 

tleman, the Courier, a. leading French paper, not in- 
aptly said : 

"This measure, besides being rather tardy, is be- 
lieved to be without a parallel in the local legislation of 
the Republic. The people in their elementary capacity 
have already given expression to their enthusiasm, and 
have not instructed their representatives to act in their 
behalf. It is, moreover, an usurpation of the rights of 
the Federal Government, which alone controls our Fed- 
eral relations." 

The last public act of Mayor Roffignac, in his character 
of chief executive of New Orleans, will prove a fitting 
close to this chapter. The following letter and valedic- 
tory throw strong rays of light upon the policy of his ad- 
ministration. They were both written and delivered on 
the e^ of his departure from his native country , and 
repel the idea that our people were non-progressive in 
early days. To him, as I have already said in a former 
sketch of his life and services, is due the impetus first 
given to the wheels of government. His letter to the 
City Council was couched in the following terms: 

" New Orleans, April 12, 1S28. 
" To the President and 3 f embers of tJie City Council: 

"Gentlemen — If it were in my power to portray 
human feeling, I would attempt to express to you the 
lively sense of gratitude awakened in my breast hy the 
flattering terms in which it has pleased the Honorable 
City Council to manifest its satisfaction with my efforts, 
during the last eight years, to merit the confidence re- 
posed in me by my fellow-citizens. I would not, how- 
ever, be doing justice either to the people who have, 
during that period, honored me with an almost unani- 



232 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

mous vote, or to you, gentlemen, whose wise counsels 
have so frequently guided my measures, were I not to 
acknowledge how much assistance and support, in the 
exercise of my functions, I have found in the general 
approval of my constituents, and in the firmness of the 
magistrates who compose the Municipal Council. 

"In the government of a city, just as in that of a 
State, no useful forces can exist except such as are de- 
rived from public opinion, and this opinion never man- 
ifests itself spontaneously, except when the measures 
proposed are profitable to the mass of the citizens. 
Keenly alive to the importance of this commercial city, 
now advancing in the front rank of the metropolitan 
centres of this Union, I have been anxious to introduce 
all the improvements which the progress of the age has 
placed at our disposal. I have been of opinion that a 
slow advance was not in keeping with the spirit of the 
age, nor with the wants and interests of an active and 
enterprising generation. I have thought, in other words, 
that this great mart of so many wealthy States should 
be in a position to offer to industry and commerce 
everything needed to facilitate and hasten their opera- 
tions. I have not shrunk, in order to bring about these 
useful results, from borrowing capital, as I am con- 
vinced that the financial resources of an opulent city 
like ours, with its yearly increasing revenues, will suf- 
fice to liquidate its liabilities through a funding system, 
both gradual and little onerous. 

" Success, gentlemen, has crowned our hopes, thanks 
to your co-operation. New Orleans, at this' day, offers 
guarantees of prosperity that assure her future. 

" The expressions of regret which you have so kindly 
uttered are, believe me, reciprocated on my part. 
United to you by common duties ; in full accord as to 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 233 

our intentions, although differing at times from the 
means proposed, I have found, in your indulgence and 
in the favor of my fellow-citizens, a full reward for my 
services. I am happy to carry away, in my temporary 
separation from this city, where my sweetest affections 
and my fondest memories will ever cluster, the assur- 
ances of your friendship and of the esteem of my fellow- 
citizens. I pray you to accept the expression of the 
sentiments of respect and attachment which will ever 
bind me to you and to our people." 

This noble letter, at the time when he was about to 
lay aside the cares of office to take a needed rest, was 
read by the whole community with sincere sympathy, 
as his resignation was felt to be a public loss. He had 
devoted eight years of his life to the service of the city 
and thirty years to that of the State, in trying and diffi- 
cult positions, from which he had always emerged as 
pure as refined gold. He was a model official in every 
respect. 

On the eve of his departure, he proceeded to the 
Council Chamber, where preparations had been made for 
his reception. The recorder, as usual, presided. On 
his appearance, the members rose to their feet, and 
offered him the seat of honor. This he declined, and 
modestly taking a position in the aisle, near the right- 
hand row of chairs, he delivered the following remarks : 

"Gentlemen — At the time when the relations which 
have so long bound us together are about to be severed, 
I have deemed it my duty to repair to this hall to enjoy 
once more the pleasure of meeting those members of the 
City Council who have lent me their powerful assistance 
in my difficult duties of mayor, and to thank you again 
in person for the address which the Council has con- 



234 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

descended to transmit to me. Its contents affix the 
stamp of honor on my official career. 

"There are situations in life when the emotions 
which one experiences become an obstacle to the ex- 
pression of thought. Such, gentlemen, is the position 
in which I find myself at this moment. 

"Eight years ago, this day, and at about the same 
hour, I appeared for the first time within these precincts 
to take the oath to support the law and do all in my 
power for the interests and well-being of my constitu- 
ents. This oath, I declare to you, has been religiously 
observed, and I have seconded by every means at my 
disposal your patriotic views in the furtherance of the 
growth and prosperity of this interesting capital. 

" I can not conceal from myself the fact that, in the 
course of my career, I have committed many mistakes ; 
but they were involuntary and excusable, my intentions 
being pure. 

" To-morrow I shall resume once more the character 
of a private citizen, and, in doing so, will feel great sat- 
isfaction if the manner in which I have acquitted my- 
self of my duties has earned for me the title of a good 
citizen. This last quality is eminently due to the gen- 
tleman elected to succeed me, and whom public esteem 
has elevated to the position. I sincerely hope that he 
will escape the opposition of enemies, which a faithful 
discharge of public duty is likely to create. If this 
good luck has not been my lot, I have at least the con- 
solation of knowing that I harbor malice against none. 
" I trust, gentlemen, that you will be pleased to act 
for me as intermediaries with my constituency, and that 
you will repeat to them what I have just declared 
within this hall, that if I have been so unfortunate as to 
commit errors, they were not the result of design. 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 235 

" I am about to revisit the home of my birth. There, 
as elsewhere, I shall ever carry in my heart the recol- 
lection of lovely lyouisiana, my country by adoption ; 
and be a.ssured that I shall neglect no means to shorten 
the absence which will separate me from her. I beg 
you, gentlemen, to accept the a.ssurance of the feelings 
of sincere gratitude which your repeated acts of kind- 
ness have filled mj^ heart." 

The last expressed wishes of Rolfignac were never 
realized. He died a tragic death in his chateau in 
France, a few years afterward, just as he was preparing 
to return to the city he had loved and served so well. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 



NEW ORLEANS IN 1 788 — ITS DESTRUCTION BY FIRE — 
NEW ORLEANS THREATENED WITH A GENERAL MASSA- 
CRE — SAVED BY A SLAVE — GRANDJEAN THE CONSPIRA- 
TOR — THE LEGION — ITS HISTORY — A SHAM BATTLE — 
THE FAUBOURG ST. MARY — ITS ORIGIN AND PROGRESS 
— SAMUEL J. PETERS — BERNARD MARIGNY — DOUBLE 
DEALING — THE OLD GRAVIER CANAL — ORLEANS NAVI- 
GATION COMPANY — ORGANIZATION OF THE POLICE — THE 
STORY OF THE GIQUEL-BROOKS AFFAIR — INTREPIDITY 
OF JUDGE JOACHIM BERMUDEZ — HEROISM OF HIS WIFE 
— THE "WASHINGTON GUARDS," THE NUCLEUS OP THE 
WASHINGTON ARTILLERY. 



To one who loves to delve into the dust-begrimed, 
worm-eaten and somewhat musty records of generations 
long gone by, the student frequently stumbles upon 
unexpected revelations and surprises. No history fur- 
nishes a wider field for romance, thrilling episodes and 
dramatic incidents than that of our State. These have 
never been thoroughly and deftly written, since they 
require the pen of a Macauley, a Thiers or a Motley to 
bring them forth from their chiaro-oscuro recesses into 
the bright sunlight of the realistic. 
2.^6 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 237 

What more beautiful and Van Dyke-like portraiture 
of character can a historical writer select than that fur- 
nished, for instance, by our public personages during the 
first decade of the present century, including the period 
of excitement and terror created by the Aaron Burr 
" fiasco." Here we would see Claiborne, halting, pro- 
crastinating and ever needing the rod of Wilkinson to 
urge him on. There the General, whom Jackson, sus- 
picious of treachery, had advised the Governor to watch 
— imperious, bombastic, but plucky to the core. Fur- 
ther on Daniel Clark, the libertine and shrewd money- 
maker, always bent on mischief and discord, suspecting 
everybody and suspected by all. Then we would be 
made acquainted with lyivingston, Davezac, McDonogh, 
Hall, Derbigny, lyislet, Bellechasse, Macarty, Sauve, 
Destrehan, and a host of others, without omitting Pere 
Antoine as a central figure, not as they are dryly de- 
lineated in the annals which we possess, but as they 
lived, moved, spoke and thought. 

The warfare for supremacy, so long waged between 
the two antagonistic races — Saxon against Gaul — their 
gradual intermixture and final harmonious blending, 
despite the prejudices engendered by religion, diversity 
of customs and early training ; their rivalry in the fields 
of politics, literature and commercial progress ; these 
also would constitute an instructive and yet an enter- 
taining and amusing theme, where the imagination, 
without any disregard to truth, might be allowed to wing 
its flight amid scenes of almost Acadian picturesqueness. 
Is not this an unexplored mine, inviting and remuner- 
ative to a diligent prospector ? 

I am led to these remarks by the information that a 
work of this character is now progressing, and is in the 
hands of one whose pre-eminence in the walks of science 



235 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

and of humanities fits him so well for the task. A re- 
nowned ecclesiastic, whose whole life has been devoted 
to the training of the 5^outh of the country, and whose 
leisure hours are dedicated to the wooing of knowledge 
and polite literature ; his undertaking should be looked 
upon as an auspicious omen in the history of letters. 

The great fire that occurred in New Orleans, of which 
the following is the official account written by Gov. 
Miro to His Majesty, the King of Spain, is far more 
graphic and pathetic than that given out by any of our 
local writers, as a comparison of their merits will 
readily show. I need, therefore, no apology for having 
rescued it from oblivion in its long sleep among our old 
archives, and for publishing it iyi extcnso. The transla- 
tion is a literal one : 

" On the evening of the 21st of March, 1788, at 1:30 
o'clock, a fire broke out in the private residence of Don 
Vicente Jose Nunez, paymaster of the army. (This 
building was situated at the lower corner of Chartres 
and Toulouse streets, on the woods side.) Eight huti- 
dred and fifty -six buildings were reduced to ashes, in- 
cluding all the business houses and principal mansions 
of the city. A wind from the south, then blowing with 
fury, thwarted every effort to arrest its progress. The 
parochial church and presbytery (^casa de los air as') 
were involved in the common disaster, together with 
the greater part of its archives. The Municipal build- 
ing i^casa capitular), the barracks and the armory, as 
well as the arms deposited therein, except 150 muskets, 
met the same fate. The public jail was also destroyed, 
and hardly had we time to save the lives of the unfort- 
unate prisoners. 

"We succeeded in saving the Custom House, the 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 239 

tobacco warehouses, the Governor's and lutendent's 
buildings, the general supply store ot provisions and 
blankets for the Indians, our park of artillery, the 
Royal Hospital, the Ursulines Convent, the barracks 
set apart for the dragoons and resident regiment, and 
several private edifices fronting the river. 

"As soon as we perceived that the progress of the 
fire was being hastened by unceasing gusts of wind, and 
that the whole city was evidently in danger of destruc- 
tion, our principal aim was directed toward the removal 
of our supply depot (^almacen de viveres), as this was 
our sole dependence for future .subsistence. We had 
previously taken out of the artillery quarters every im- 
plement necessary to cut ofif the fire. We carried off 
from the treasury and deposited on the river banks all 
of your Majesty's treasures, in currency and silver, 
over which a guard was kept, attended by that care 
against risk consequent on the confusion and dis- 
order which necessarily occur at such a time. The 
papers belonging to ths Auditor's (^contadiiria) and 
Secretary's departments were transferred to places of 
safety, and, when subsequently returned to their re- 
spective custodians, none were found missing. With 
the exception of some slight injury to the armory and a 
small quantity of war materials left in the park ; of 
the mislaying of some articles in the storehouse at the 
time when we took out some artillery implements (not 
an unexpected contingency) ; of the loss of a small 
quantity of flour that had been worked into biscuits for 
delivery at Natchez, and of a little damage to the build- 
ing that had been purchased for experiments in the 
manufacture of snuff, the loss of your Majesty has been 
trifling. 

"Hemmed in on every side by the raging flames, 



24p NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

and mindful of the obligation we were under of extin- 
guishing the conflagration and cutting off its further 
communications, we could not close our eyes to the dire 
necessity staring us in the face — a dearth of provisions 
for the morrow. On the spur of the moment, we took 
every measure suggested by humanity and our sense of 
duty to prevent the pangs of hunger from being added 
to the sufferings of the helpless victims of this terrible 
calamity, and, with this object in view, I ordered that 
the stock of biscuits that had been rescued from the de- 
vouring element should be distributed among the needy 
applicants, inasmuch as most of the bakeries had been 
swept from existence. 

"If the imagination could describe what our senses 
enable us to feel from sight and touch, reason itself 
would recoil in horror, and it is no easy matter to say 
whether the sight of an entire city in flames was more 
horrible to behold than the suffering and pitiable condi- 
tion in which every one was involved. Mothers, in 
search of a sanctuary or refuge for their little ones, and 
abandoning their earthly goods to the greed of the re- 
lentless enemy, would retire to out-of-the-way places 
rather than be witnesses of their utter ruin. Fathers 
and husbands were busy in saving whatever objects the 
rapidly spreading flames would permit them to bear off, 
while the general bewilderment was such as to prevent 
them from finding even for these a place of security. 
The obscurity of the night coming on threw its mantle 
for awhile over the saddening spectacle ; but more hor- 
rible still was the sight, when day began to dawn, of 
entire families pouring forth into the public highways, 
yielding to their lamentations and despair, who, but a 
few hours before, had been basking in the enjoyment of 
more than the ordinary comforts of life. The tears, the 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 



241 



heart-breaking soIjs and the pallid faces of these wretched 
people mirrored the dire fatality that had overcome a 
city, now in ruins, transformed within the space of five 
hours into an arid and fearful desert. Such was the sad 
ending of a work of death, the result of seventy years 
of industry. I herewith enclose to your Majesty a plan 
exhibiting the actual condition of the city. 






im 



lEH^nflOHP 












f^ititt "(X^U 




-7C 



'^, 



A. Ceme'erv. 

B. Prison. 

C. Church. 



D. Capuchins' Quarters. 

E. King's Storas. 

F. Ursulines' Convent. 



G. Royal Hospital. 
H. Barracks. 
I. Government Building's 



Note. — All the buildings fronting the river were saved. The settled part; 
of the town are indicated by the black squares ; the others were open town lots 

" To alleviate in part their immediate wants, camping 
tents were distributed to those who applied for them, 
and we agreed to distribute daily one ration of rice, on 
your Majesty's account, to every one, without distiuc- 



242 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

tion, who solicited the same. The number of these 
persons amounts to 700, who will continue to be pro- 
vided for during the continuance of their extreme necessi- 
ties. Many have taken temporary lodgings with families 
that were so fortunate as to escape unscathed, and to 
such an extent have the compassionate feelings of the 
latter shone forth that on the following day there was 
not a single human being without shelter. 

' ' One of my first measures was the sending of three 
ships to Philadelphia, directed to the care of our resi- 
dent minister, besides the issuing of several permits, to 
enable us, within the shortest possible delay, to receive 
a supply of provisions, nails, medicines and other ar- 
ticles of first necessity, at reasonable prices, for which 
purpose we drew from your royal coffers at this point 
the sum of $24,000 on account, for the payment of 3000 
barrels of flour, which I have already ordered. 

"The people not embraced in this general misfortune 
have in general voluntarily offered to subscribe to a fund 
for the rebuilding of the edifices most needed. The 
ecclesiastical corps, represented by their vicar, has sup- 
pressed for the time being the collection of all parochial 
tithes. Colonel Maxent has exhibited on this occasion 
evidences of the most considerate charit}^ having afforded 
a home and maintenance to a very large number of fami- 
lies, who had sought a place of refuge at his residence. 
He sold me the stock of rice and tobacco that he had 
on hand at the market prices ruling before the fire, and 
even offered to go up to the post of Pointe Coupee (^/ 
piiesto de Punta Cortada), for the purpose of getting the 
signatures of those who might be willing to subscribe 
for the relief of the needy. 

" The loss occasioned by the destruction of the build- 
ings has been estimated at $1,080,000, exclusive of mer- 



OLT) LOUIvSIANA DAYS. 243 

chandise and personal effects ; and as this fact can not 
now be ascertained with anj'^ degree of certaint3^ unless 
through the declarations of parties interested, we have 
issued an edict prescribing that, within a delay of eight 
days, every victim shall furnish me with a, detailed state- 
ment of his loss. This order has not been complied with 
as yet, for the reason that many families have retired to 
a distance of eight and ten leagues from this capital, and 
have not been apprised of it in time. Hence, I must 
suspend until next mail a statement of our total loss, 
which, we suppose, will exceed $3,000,000. 

' ' The mind of every one to-day is chiefly absorbed 
in the expectation of that relief which the benevo- 
lent disposition of your Majesty gives them cause to hope 
for. Opinions are divided into two classes ; one is that 
of the landed proprietors, the other that of the mer- 
chants. The first want free trade in this province, and 
ask that foreign crafts, whatever their nationality, may 
be allowed ingress into our port. The second, aware 
that the point had already been mooted in the Provincial 
Council {Ayinitamioito) of this city by one of the mem- 
bers {regidores) with the approval of his colleagues, 
have presented us with a memorial, the object of which is 
to induce us to influence your Majesty against the sugges- 
tion, and in this demand they, too, go to extremes. 
They solicit me to crave your permission to allow the 
inhabitants, in general of these provinces to bring car- 
goes here from any European port without any distinc- 
tion whatever. There is no doubt in my mind that 
either of these concessions would rapidly develop the 
prosperity of the colony, and build up in a short 
time this now desolate capital ; Init, as the first pro- 
ject is wholly opposed to our policy of not allowing 
in the Gulf of Mexico of any ship not bearing our (li^, 



244 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

under the pretext of only coming to the river ; and, 
furthermore, as regards the second, inasmuch as the 
interests of the monarchy may require that preference 
should be given to some foreign nation, France for in- 
stance — a friei?d allied to us by such strong ties — I 
merely confine myself to recommend the prorogation of 
commerce granted by the royal letters patent {cedula) of 
Januar)^ 22, 1782, with the privilege that during the 
space of three years the people here may avail them- 
selves of foreign crafts, with the same exemption from du- 
ties as is conceded by Art. 5 of said royal letters patent. ' ' 

The loss by this terribly destructive fire, as officially 
ascertained and made known to the Spanish Cabinet 
afterward, was declared to amount to the sum of $2,- 
595,561. 

The foregoing letter loses much of its idiomatic force 
and beauty through the free translation which the genius 
of the Spanish language compels one to adopt, although 
some passages therein must forcibly remind the scholar 
of some of the imaginary scenes depicted by Defoe in his 
" Plague of London." Governor Miro was not only a 
thorough diplomat, but a polished classic. 

While conning, some time ago, over the pages of our 
ancient municipal records, my eyes chanced to stray 
upon certain passages of a message forwarded to the 
aldermen of the city, b}^ Mayor John Watkins, on Sep- 
tember 28, 1805. As their contents are not referred to 
by Mr. Gayarre in his work on I,ouisiana, I think it 
will be both interesting and instructive to reproduce 
them in their entiretj^ : 

"Gentlemen of the Council — Agreeably to my 
promise, some time ago, permit me to enter into the 
particulars of some of the circumstances relative to the 



01,D LOUISIANA DAYS. 245 

conspiracy which had for its object to call to arms the 
negro slaves in our midst to burn down our cit}', and to 
slaughter its inhabitants. A mulatto, named Celestin, 
was the first man to give warning of the existence of 
this abominable project. 

" It seems that a white man, a fresh importation from 
St, Domingo (where he has doubtless served an appren- 
ticeship to the crimes which have precipitated that un- 
fortunate island into an abyss of destruction), had been 
for some time employed as a workman in the shop of 
Mr. Duverne, a respectable citizen of the faubourg St. 
Mary, at whose place Celestin also had been engaged to 
work. One day the wretch, whose name is Grandjean, 
confided to the latter a plan relative to a general insur- 
rection of the slaves, the success of which was to be se- 
cured at the cost of the lives and fortunes of the whites. 
Celestin, guided by natural sentiments of humanity, like 
a faithful slave, and without loss of time, imparted the 
information, with all its details to Mr. Duverne, who, in 
turn and conjointly with Celestin, apprised me of it, 
accompanied for that purpo.se by Colonel Dorciere. 
Measures were immediately taken to not only discon- 
cert the plot and arrest the author, but to secure also 
sufficient proof to convict him of the atrocious crime 
which he was meditating against the peace of the Terri- 
tory. With this object in view, we advised several free 
colored people, both intelligent and of excellent charac- 
ter, to get themselves introduced to Grandjean as persons 
well disposed to second him in his undertaking, and 
who were, under this cloak, to draw from him all the 
particulars of his conspiracy, in order to qualify them- 
selves to testify eventually before the courts. The plan 
proved a success, for Grandjean opened himself fully ta 
them, and explained his plans, which were to be car- 



246 NEW OkLKANS AS iT WAS. 

ried ovit in the follow ng manner : He said that, being 
the principal agent, he was to be known only to ten 
persons, who were to be the apparent leaders. The.se 
ten chiefs were to communicate the secret to ten others, 
and so an ad in^inituvi. Couriers were to be sent to 
the blacks at Natchez and to those of adjoining points. 
Commandeurs or negro drivers particularly were to be 
won over, and on a given day, at an appointed hour, the 
decisive blow was to be struck. The insurgents were to 
make themselves masters of the different streets of the 
city, take forcible possession of the soldiers' barracks 
and of the different public stores, surprise the State 
Hou.se aud other government buildings, massacre every 
one who offered resistance, and finally set the city ©n 
fire, if it could not be reduced to subjection otherwise. 

' ' These particulars once known, it became necessary to 
take steps to inform the whites of the situation, without 
creating unnecessary alarm. In consequence. Colonels 
Bellechasse and Uorciere, Mr. Duverne and myself, 
went at an hour agreed upon with a detachment of gen- 
darmerie and surrounded the house. Colonel Bellechasse, 
who had fortunatelj- screened himself completely for the 
purpose, was able to hear from the lips of Grandjean 
himself the .substance oJ the Ivorrible things that I have 
been relating. We then made an irruption into the 
apartment — Grandjean was taken and led to the jail, 
where he is now detained while waiting for his trial and 
the just punishment which he deserves. 

" With regard to the reward to be awarded to Celestin, 
there is no doubt that application to that effect should be 
made to the Territorial government ; but, while awaiting 
its decision, and in the uncertainty of its final action, if 
the recollection of his important services has not faded 
away through lapse of time, it must behoove you, it seems 



OLD tOUlSlANA DAYS. 247 

to me, gentlemen, to break the fetters which now bind 
this faithful servant, and to invest him with that dignity 
of freedom which he refused to accept at the price of 
your blood. 

"With regard to the colored people who have so nobly 
contributed toward the discovery of the plot, they will 
find an adequate reward in some honorable testimonial 
of yoni esteem and acknowledgment of their claim on 
public gratitude." 

Acting upon these suggestions, the City Council ap- 
pointed two of its members, Messrs. Pedesclaux and 
Arnaud, to confer with Mr. Robelot, Celestin's master, 
in reference to his manumission. In consideration of 
the sum of $2000, agreed upon by experts and paid by 
the corporation, Celestin became a free man, and an 
object of envy and admiration to blacks and whites 
alike. 

Nor were the colored men forgotten, who had so 
firmly stood by the citizens of New Orleans. Not only 
were eulogistic resolutions adopted by the Board of 
Councilmen, but more substantial favors and tokens of 
consideration were bestowed upon them. This class of 
our population, it must be said to their credit, not- 
withstanding the anomalous condition which they oc- 
cupied, invariably proved theiMselves honest, industrious 
and conservative citizens. In periods of public calamity 
they were always to be seen in the front ranks cheerfully 
performing every service assigned to them. During 
epidemics, the females braved every danger and were 
considered by our physicians as the most competent 
and attentive nurses in the world. The acts of heroism 
displayed by the free men of color at the battle of New 
Orleans, under the command of Savary, D'Aquin and 
lyacoste, extorted the admiration of Jackson and fill a 



24 S NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

glorious page of Louisiana history. These lines are but 
a small tribute to their worthy past. 

But what of Grancljean ? As he had committed no 
overt act to incite the slaves to insurrection he escaped 
the death penalty, but was convicted of the lesser of- 
fence, and sentenced to .serve a life sentence in the chain 
gang employed upon our public streets. Exposed at the 
pillory and whipping post with the convict's red bonnet 
and parti-colored trowsers and jacket, and dragging a 
fifty-pound ball attached to his ankles, he was for many 
years to be seen, toiling and panting with other crimi- 
nals, in cleaning gutters and grading our highways with 
batture sand. 

The most thoroughly equipped and disciplined body 
of citizen soldiery that Louisiana ever possessed in ante- 
bellum times was, without doubt, the organization pop- 
ularly known as the "lyCgion." Its origin dates from 
the period of our territorial government. At that time, 
several companies, composed of Creoles and of French- 
men who had seen active service in Europe, were 
formed and consolidated. Governor Claiborne, in his 
correspondence with the President, when lyouisiana 
was threatened with invasion by Burr's adherents, men- 
tions them as bodies that could be depended upon in 
case of an emergency. They constituted the nucleus, 
around which gathered in subsequent years other or- 
ganizations of a similar character, so that, when in 1814 
the British invaded our soil, a body of troops, known as 
the Battalion of Orleans Volunteers, stepped into the field 
fully armed and equipped for action. They proved 
themselves trained veterans, and their prowess and effi- 
ciency are now a part of our country's history. 

In the progress of time, this small corps increased in 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 249 

Strength and stability with such rapidity that it became 
necessary to incorporate it into a Legion, which was 
successively commanded by generals of repute, such as 
Cuvellier, DeBuys, Lewis and Augustin. Such is the 
outline of its formation. Nearly every nationality was 
represented in this organization. The Germans had 
their Yaegers, the Spaniards their Cazadores, the 
French their Voltigeurs, Cuirassiers and Lanciers, the 
Americans their Washington Guards and Louisiana 
Grays, the Creoles their Grenadiers, their Sappers and 
Miners, the Irish their Emmett Guards, each appareled 
in gaudy and appropriate uniforms. There was even a 
mounted corps of Mamelukes. The Orleans Battalion 
of Artillery, set on foot by such veteran ofhcers as Dom- 
inique You, Major Gaily and Gen. Benj. Buisson, and 
composed of the elite of our Creole young bloods, was 
perfect in every detail and always ready for immediate 
service. 

By a special act of the Legislature, the Legion was 
required to assist the Mayor in all cases of tunuilt, ivhen 
the police found themselves 7inable to preserve the public 
peace, and in April, 1830, the city voted it a yearly al- 
lowance of $2000 in compensation for the service. 

It was about that time that the Louisiana Legion 
turned out for the first time in a body to go through the 
evolutions of a />(?///<? ^7^<?;'r<?, or sham battle, in Marig- 
ny's field, jointly with the uniformed bodies of the First 
Brigade, which had been invited for the occasion. 
About 120 men of the Fourth Regiment of United 
States Regulars, stationed in the city under Major 
Twiggs, appeared and formed a reserve corps in the 
rear of three columns of attack, headed by Lieutenant 
Colonel Cuvellier and directed against a point which 
was defended by a corps of infantry and two field pieces. 



250 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

under the command of Major Daunoy. The onset being 
successful, a pontoon bridge was thrown by the latter 
over Marigny's canal. A retreat was ordered. This 
operation enabled him to take a new position on the op- 
posite bank, and to resist with advantage a body of 
troops much stronger than his own, supported by two 
field pieces and two troops of cavalry under Captains 
Vignie and Ed. Ducros. 

The mimic conflict was admirably planned and con- 
ducted, and after the firing had ceased, a copious break- 
fast charnpetre , offered to the general staff, the United 
States troops and the uniformed companies of the bri- 
gade, terminated a military feast, which was marred by 
no accident and attended throughout by the most 
hearty good nature and cordiality. In addition to two 
cavalry companies from the parish of Jefferson, there 
were two companies from St. Bernard, the Louisiana 
Guards, the Lafayette Riflemen and the Cadets, who, 
with the United States troops and the Legion, formed a 
total of nearly 2500 men, of all arms, when they re- 
turned to the city. 

When the war with Mexico first broke out, and vol- 
unteers were being called upon to proceed at once to the 
assistance of our beleaguered men on the Rio Grande, 
the Legion answered the call within twenty-four hours. 
It readily furnished the contingent required, which was 
among the first to reach the scene of operations. 

The object of the Legion was to encourage military 
ardor and discipline. Every holiday or State occasion 
was taken advantage of to display this spirit. Thus on 
the feast of St. Barbe, the patroness of Artillerists, the 
Orleans Battalion were wont to turn out in splendid ar- 
ray, with a bouquet of flowers inserted in their mo7isque- 
tons, and proceeded to the Cathedral to hear mass and 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 25 1 

take up a subscription for our orphans' asylums. This 
yearly practice was religiously observed every 8th of 
December. Their flags and banners were usually 
blessed by the bishop during these public ceremonies. 
Every Sunday witnessed some marked display or pro- 
cession, either a drill on the Place d'Armes or an ex- 
cursion to some rural retreat. 

The days of the Legion are now things of the past, 
but they yet linger in the recollections of old inhabit- 
ants like faded and regretted glories. 

Much space has been devoted in these preceding 
pages to accounts of the foundation and gradual devel- 
opment of the "city" proper (/<? carre de la Ville'), 
though frequent references have been made to its sub- 
urbs. I now propose to give a faint outline of the rise 
and progress of the faubourg St. Mary, now composing 
the First District of New Orleans. 

To two citizens of alien birth and parentage, James 
H. Caldwell and Samuel J. Peters, are mainly due the 
creation and commercial prosperity of this now famous 
centre of our metropolis. The first was the soul of en- 
terprise, the latter the embodiment of financial skill and 
daring. One was the designer, the other the architect. 
While leading and wealthy Creoles, such as Marigny, 
Vignie, Montegut, Millaudon, DeBuys, DeFeriet, and a 
host of others were listlessly dreaming of the possibil- 
ities in store for their native city, the Anglo-Saxons, 
under the guidance of audacious speculators and far- 
seeing prospectors, were at work with tireless energy in 
laying out the ground. 

It is related, and the story rests upon authenticated 
tradition, that these two gentlemen had originally made 
choice of the lower faubourg as the future theatre of 



252 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

their financial operations. The harbor of that part of 
the city offered advantages which no other point pre- 
sented, not only on account of its great depth of water 
and the security of its levees, but of the cheap con- 
struction of wharves. To attract the shipping to that 
locality by means of warehouses and cotton presses; to 
erect on Elysian Fields, opposite the terminus of the 
Pontchartrain railroad, a first-class hotel; to construct in 
that vicinity a larger theatre, and to locate there their 
gas and waterworks plants — these were the first schemes, 
precursors of still greater, projected by these prescient 
and public-spirited men. With this object in view, 
Bernard Marigny was approached by the parties, and, 
after considerable haggling, consented to yield, at a 
fabulous price, a large space of territory, constituting 
nearly the whole of his ancestral plantation. When 
every necessary document had been drawn up, all the 
parties in interest met at the notary's office to ratify the 
agreement and conclude the sale, except Mrs. Marigny, 
who, it was surmised, had purposely absented herself at 
her husband's suggestion. As lier dotal and parapher- 
nal rights were involved in this matter of transfer, her 
refusal to ratify the contract broke up the project. Mr. 
Peters, it is said, was so enraged at this act, which he 
bluntly denounced as double-dealing, that, turning to 
the Saxon-hating Creole, he cried out : " I shall live, 
by God, to see the day when rank grass shall choke up 
the streets of your old faubourg," a prophecy that has 
unfortunately been verified to the letter ! 

The reader must not suppose from this incident that 
the Creole population blindly indulged in the senseless 
prejudices of their once popular tribune or approved his 
opposition tactics. On the contrary, they upbraided 
him for his course in bitter terms, both in conversation 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 253 

and in print, and this fact drew upon him in after years 
that strong opposition which checked his political aspi- 
ration, and lost him the governorship. It was evident 
to them that he was no safe adviser or leader. But, as 
a matter of fact, this evidence of a narrow-sighted policy 
only served to widen the breach between the antag- 
onistic races, and to add fuel to the continuance of those 
unfortunate broils and encounters, then so frequent and 
fatal. 

Canal street was not by any means, as some people 
suppose, the dividing line of the contending factions, 
inasmuch as many of the most enterprising American 
merchants and business men of the period, including 
Mr. Peters himself, had their principal establishments 
in the French quarter. Chartres street, the great thor- 
oughfare of the day, was dotted as far down as Tou- 
louse, with magnificent and attractive stores, among 
which the jewelry bazaar of Messrs. Hyde & Goodrich 
will long be remembered by old-timers. The firm of 
Peters & Millard, doing then an extensive grocery busi- 
ness, was located on Old Levee street, not far from 
Bienville, while such merchants and bankers as Saul, 
Montgomery, Zacharie, etc., were all domiciled down 
town. 

The refusal of Mr. Bernard Marigny to participate in 
the advantages offered by the financial magnates not 
only sealed the doom of his own immediate section and 
brought about the eventual decline of the 'Uarrc de la 
ville,'' but was the event from which dates the surpris- 
ing transformation of that once gigantic quagmire, 
known to-day as the First District, into a new and won- 
derful city, the centre of progress, wealth and refine- 
ment, with its attractive public buildings, immense 
warehouses and stores and palatial residences for its 



254 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

merchant princes. The New. Canal, the Waterworks, 
the St. Charles and Verandah hotels, the Gas Works, 
the St. Charles theatre, the introduction of square stone 
pavements, were not a few, although among the first, of 
the improvements inaugurated by those men of iron, 
and notwithstanding the financial crash of 1836-37, 
which, for the nonce, paralyzed every industry, the 
work of progress and go-aheaditiveness steadily went on. 

In order to attract further trade to that fast growing 
portion of the city, the subject of improving and widen- 
ing the old Gravier canal, now the New Basin, to its 
opening at the lyake, became a vital question. The 
Marigny canal on El3^sian Fields street, and the Caron- 
delet afforded ample water-ways, it is true, for commer- 
cial communications with the L,ake and Gulf ports, but 
the inhabitants up town complained that they derived 
no immediate advantage therefrom, and were completely 
shut out from the traffic by pretended monopolistic 
privileges and legislative grants. This was in 1830. 

The act of the legislative council of the Territory of 
Orleans, passed in 1805, incorporating the Navigation 
Company for the purpose of improving the internal nav- 
igation of the Territory, had failed to produce the bene- 
ficial effects expected from its provisions. Although 
twenty-five years had elapsed since the incorporation of 
that company, its operations had been limited to the 
keeping of the Bayou St. John in an imperfectly nav- 
igable state, and to the opening of the canal and basin, 
previously constructed by the Baron Carondelet. Pre- 
tending to an exclusive right to improve the navigation 
of the Island of Orleans, the object of this company ap- 
peared not to have been to make improvements, but to 
distribute enormous dividends among themselves. It was 
nearly ten years since this company had purchased the 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 255 

Canal Gravier, for an insignificant sum, and although 
excessive dividends had been constautl}' declared since 
that time, no proposition seemed to have been offered 
for the opening of that canal. By an act of Congress, 
passed on the i6th da}' of April, 1816, a large square of 
ground was donated to the Navigation Company, for 
the purpose, it was presumed, of enabling it to make 
further improvements. This tract of land was divided 
into lots and sold, but the proceeds were not applied to 
the facilities of navigation, but distributed, it was 
reported, among the stockholders. Little, however, as 
had been done by the company in the way of meliora- 
tion, much had been done in the way of exacting tolls. 
These were so large as to keep down the commerce of 
the lakes, to depress the industry and retard the growth 
of all that part of the State which lay to the eastward of 
Lake Pontchartrain, and to cause loud and just com- 
plaints from the people of the adjacent States and Ter- 
ritories. 

Descanting upon this subject, a paper said : 
" The most sanguine calculations would insufficiently 
appreciate the advantages to arise from the making of a 
safe, ea.sy and cheap communication between the city 
and the Lake. To the city this advantage would be 
found in the greatly increasing quantity and cheapness 
of all building materials and in the cost of the articles 
of first necessity ; in the additional commerce which 
will be drawn from the neighboring States, and in af- 
fording ample protection against inundation from the 
breaking of the levee at any point above the line of the 
canal. The advantages of that part of the Gulf which 
sends its produce to market through the Lake are too 
obvious to be mentioned, and the whole State must nec- 
essarily derive benefit from the increasing population 



256 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

and wealth of any part. With this view a railroad 
company has been incorporated. Whether the applica- 
tion for an incorporation for the purpose of constructing 
a railroad instead of a canal proceeds from an idea of the 
superiority of the former for the conveyance of pas- 
sengers and merchandise, or was founded on a misty 
notion with respect to the rights of the Orleans Naviga- 
tion Company, is a matter of conjecture. Much has 
been written and various opinions entertained in rela- 
tion to the superior advantages offered by the different 
modes of transportation. Greater expedition must be 
conceded to railroads, and those will probably be pre- 
ferred for the conveyance of persons. But for the trans- 
portation of bricks, lime, shells, sand, lumber, firewood, 
etc., it is believed that a straight canal from the Lake 
shore to some convenient spot in the upper part of the 
city of New Orleans, by which these articles could be 
landed there, from the same vessel in which they have 
been first laden, is preferable. The opinion which seems 
at this time generally prevalent is rather more favor- 
able even to the canal and bayou of the navigation com- 
pany for the transportation of these articles than to the 
railroad. Still, it is believed that the stockholders in 
the railroad company will be fully remunerated without 
extending their exclusive privileges beyond the limits of 
their charter. They have the exclusive right of con- 
structing railroads to the city ; but we ask for the priv- 
ilege of making a canal, the same to revert to the State 
at the expiration of twenty-five years." 

The foregoing remarks, trite and commonplace as they 
may appear to us at the present time, were the expres- 
sion of that far-sighted policy which brought about the 
reclamation of thousands of acres of swamp lands. The 
struggle for the construction of this important water-way 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 257 

was long and painful, and, when won, contributed be- 
yond measure in settling and thickly populating with 
hardy and industrious citizens all that territory which 
extended from Baronne street to the uninhabitable 
morass bej'ond. The Third Ward, as it stands to-day, 
is the product of that noble work accomplished by per- 
severing and spirited citizens, whose race seems now ex- 
tinct. The manual labor and engineering work, it may 
be observed here, were intrusted to Simon Cameron, of 
Pennsylvania, a notorious hater of the South, who sub- 
sequently became a United States Senator. .In those daj^s 
he was a contractor of national reputation, and as he was 
very careful in concealing his negrophilistic propensi- 
ties, the contract was readil}^ awarded him. Hundreds, 
not to say thousands, of laborers and mechanics were 
employed from abroad to inaugurate the work, but, when 
:he yellow fever set in, a dreadful pestilence broke out 
among the unacclimated strangers, and hecatombs of de- 
caying carcasses were to be daily found along the banks 
of the stream now lining our erstwhile renowned "Shell 
Road." For a time obstacle after obstacle seemed to 
seriously impede the successful performance of the con- 
tract, but, with the vim and energy characteristic of the 
Saxon and Celtic races, every obstacle was finally over- 
come and a new route opened to Lakes Maurepas, Pont- 
chartrain and the Gulf of Mexico. The Milnebur.g rail- 
road, a triumph for the Marigny followers, be it said en 
t>assant, destroyed all further hopes of carrying on the 
railway scheme. 

As no community can thrive, prosper and expand 
without adequate protection to person and property, an 
important resolution relative to a new organization of 
the city guard was adopted by the Council. Under its 



258 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

operation the members of that body were required to be 
acquainted with both the languages then in vogue, to- 
wit : the English and French, to establish satisfactorily 
their moral character, and to prove a residence of not 
less than one \'ear in the city. 

For 5'ears past, the insufficiency, the laziness, the in- 
solence and the tyrann)^ of the cit)^ guard had been con- 
stant themes of complaint. In the performance of their 
duties they were either culpably remiss or daringly des- 
potic. On the one hand, acts of open villainy were 
perpetrated within the limits of the municipality, and 
almost before the ej-es of the guard, without the least 
impediment being afforded to their successful accom- 
plishment. On the other, indiscreet but unoffending 
citizens were not infrequently aggrieved and outraged 
by those stupid and impudent hirelings. In short, the 
police system was as loose in discipline, injurious in its 
operations, and contemptible in its character as any that 
ever disgraced an enlightened city. It was not difficult 
to trace those abuses to their source. The old city 
guard was composed principally of foreigners, the lees 
and refuse of the town, of individuals picked up in the 
lowest haunts of vice, and admitted as members of that 
department of government without the slightest moral 
qualification and without inquiry into their fitness for 
the station they assumed. Generally acquainted with but 
one of the two languages most in vogue, and several, in 
some instances, ignorant of both ; utterly regardless of 
the responsible character of the duties which devolved 
upon them, anu totally unfit by habits, manners and 
birth for their new occupations, they constituted in gen- 
eral a most worthless and infamous pack of fools and 
knaves, without the slightest value in regard to the per- 
formance of their functions, and yet formidable to the 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 259 

citizens, on account of their acts of unprovoked and law- 
less oppression. It was evident that little could be ex- 
pected from such a motley assortment of French, Span- 
ish, German and Swiss adventurers, nine-tenths of whom 
had been but a short time in the country. 

Notwithstanding every attempt to remodel the force 
on a stable and efficient footing, such was the prejudice 
entertained by honest citizens against an organization 
that was looked upon by the whole community with 
unqualified opprobrium, that many years elapsed before, 
by slow gradations, the corps was improved with com- 
petent officers. To be a policeman was a badge of 
degradation, and it was not before Recorder Baldwin's 
first advent to office that the body was noticeably 
bettered. Winters, up town ; Youennes, in the Second 
District now, and Eugene Mazerat, in the Third, gave 
tone and character to the organizations under their con- 
trol, and when Mayor Grossman assumed the reins of 
government he was enabled through their instrumen- 
tality to reconstruct a force respectable in numbers and 
reputation, which subsequently became the nucleus 
around which has gathered the present police. 

It cannot be expected that within the compass of a 
few pages the subject which I have so imperfectly 
broached should be fully developed. The history of the 
First District is one of wonderful achievements 
and surprises. Pluck, genius and sagacity are the 
groundwork upon which its commercial importance 
and ilan were founded. 

A tragical event, connected with the defence of a 
magistrate's habitation and home, attracted, in 1836, 
general attention and became the subject of universal 
interest. The story is worth relating. 



26o NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

This deplorable catastrophe was the outgrowth of a 
judicial decision in a case in which much sectional and 
racial feeling had been displayed. It was termed the 
Giquel Brooks affair. It seems that in a rencoyitre that 
took place on Royal street, the latter had been shot 
to death under circumstances denoting malice and pre- 
meditation. Serious troubles had previously existed 
between the parties. A trip to Mexico, undertaken by 
Brooks, had put a temporary stop to their quarrel, but, 
on his return, after an interval of several months, he 
resolved to definitely settle the matter. An interview 
was, therefore, agreed upon, during which Mr. Giquel 
indulged in very provoking language. It only served 
to widen the breach. Irritated by this conduct, the 
deceased withdrew, and immediately sent a friend with 
a demand for satisfaction. The reply was a request 
for fifteen minutes' time for deliberation, which was 
granted, but, instead of awaiting the return of the mes- 
senger and delivering his promised answer, the chal- 
lenged party forthwith repaired to the office of the Re- 
corder of the Second Municipality and preferred a 
charge against Brooks. 

Thus stood matters, when the adversaries again met 
in Royal street, near St. Peter. An affraj' resulted, and 
the unfortunate Brooks, shot through the heart, lay 
stretched upon the pavement. Giquel was conveyed to 
the Mayor's ofiice and admitted to bail on an appear- 
ance bond. 

This unfortunate occurrence threw the whole city 
into a state of great commotion, for the deceased was 
generally liked and esteemed. He was buried the same 
evening, and his funeral cortege \\2iS followed to the grave 
by a large concourse of friends and citizen soldiers. 

At the close of the judicial proceedings before the 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 26 1 

committing magistrate, the privilege of bail was re- 
voked ; whereupon, he was committed to prison on the 
charge of murder. 

Public opinion was pretty equally divided as to the 
propriety of the course of Judge Preval in withholding 
from him the benefit of, what some deemed, a constitu- 
tional right ; the people up town, who had taken sides, 
as usual, against the Creole, warmly espousing the 
former's ruling. Among the military organizations — a 
crack one, by the way — which, from its character and 
high-toned membership, exercised a great influence 
in the upper section of the city, was the " Washington 
Guards," of which Brooks for some time had been an 
active and highly esteemed member. They had at- 
tended his funeral in a body, and had vowed- over his 
grave that justice should be meted out at any and every 
cost. The friends of Giquel, on the other hand, were 
not less active or persevering. They engaged eminent 
counsel, and resolved to exhaust every legal remedy 
before giving up the straggle. It was evident that the 
antagonistic parties were terribly in earnest, and rea- 
sonable men began to apprehend mischief. 

Thus stood matters, when, on September 2, 1836, a 
writ of habeas corpus was applied for before Joachim 
Bermudez, judge of the parish court, and father of our 
lamented late Chief Justice. Upon the bench, he was 
the ideal of the upright magistrate. Cold, austere, and 
yet scrupulously attentive, he kept under perfect control 
the impulses of a naturally passionate and impression- 
able temperament ; heedless of friend or foe, and un- 
swervingly obedient to the call of duty and honor. Out 
of court, he was one of the most amiable, entertaining 
and amusing raconteurs I evtr knew. Brave to a fault, 
he had been engaged in his earlier years in several 



262 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

affairs of honor, and was known to be as expert with 
the pistol as he was lamiliar with his Civil Code. He 
was prond of his noble Spanish lineage, of his race and 
of its traditions. 

Such was the man before whuse tribunal angry faces 
soon grouped themselves. The atmosphere of the court 
room was filled with threatening rumors and dire men- 
aces, and, as the judge calmly surveyed the turbulent 
element before him, he inwardly smiled at the idea that 
any populace should ever conceive the idea of frighten- 
ing him from the performance of his judicial functions. 

After the traditional bj'cs, oyez, oyes of the sheriff had 
been commanded, the attorneys, after offering evidence, 
commenced the argument, which was prolonged not only 
during that day, but continued to the following. No 
man in that room was a more attentive listener than the 
judge, who, note book in hand, jotted down every au- 
thority cited and each salient point. Upon his strong 
and impressive face, in his jet-black eyes, set under 
shaggy eye-brows, not a trace of emotion, not a clue to 
the inward workings of his intellect could be traced. 
When the case was finally submitted, leisurely taking 
up the papers, he calmly informed the lawyers that he 
wished to deliberately read the evidence before announc- 
ing his opinion, which, he added, was nearly made up. 
Two hours afterward, amid the muttered curses of the 
bafHed enemies of Giquel, the latter was released from 
confinement on a fifteen thousand dollars' bond. 

To a casual observer it was evident that trouble was 
brewing, and that the life of the intrepid judge was in 
great peril. Friends crowded around him to afford him 
protection, but these he quietly dismissed, simply re- 
marking that the only danger he apprehended was a 
skulking assassin's bullet. Face to face he feared no man. 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 263 

On the evening of the 5th of September, 1836, while 
quietly enjoying a smoke at home by the side 
of his devoted wife, a violent ringing of the door 
bell apprised them of the presence of visitors. These 
consi.sted of three friends, one of whom was Toutant 
Beauregard, a young dentist, who had come in haste 
to inform him that a party of desperate men were band- 
ing together to lynch the judge, and offering their 
services for his protection. Bermudez said nothing, 
but there was something grim and terrible in his smile 
at this attempt to overawe the independence of the 
judiciary. Absenting himself for a few moments, he 
returned with his household weapons. Delivering a 
beautifully chased double-barreled shotgun to Beaure- 
gard, he simpiy remarked : " It is loaded." Then plac- 
ing his broad-sword against the mantel-piece corner, he 
quietly resumed his seat by a side table, on which were 
resting two formidable cavalry pistols, and added: 
" Now let them come." Of the five persons composing 
the group in the parlor of that silent mansion on Bayou 
Road, between Rampart and Burgundy, none appeared 
so cool and unconcerned as the intended victim. As 
the hours sped on every neck was craned to catch the 
least suspicious sound. The night was hushed in death- 
like stillness, and, save the hurried pace of some be- 
lated wayfarer, nothing seemed to denote the proximity 
of danger. All of a sudden a crash was heard at the 
door, which flew wide open from the violence of an 
unseen pressure. As quick as thought, Beauregard 
rushed to the spot with gun in hand, but a heavy 
stroke from a cutlass bore the weapon down, which was 
harmlessly discharged. An enraged crowd then poured 
into the sitting-room, but were dumfounded at the 
sight of Mrs. Bermudez, who, grasping her husband's 



264 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

sabre, had placed herself between the latter and his 
assailants, and by frequent and well directed blows was 
compelling them to retreat in shame. 

Meanwhile the judge was not idle, as a corpse on the 
carpet and the escaping form of a mortally wounded 
aggressor fully attested. His brace of pistols had done 
their deadly work. Beauregard and his two companions 
followed in pursuit, and must have done some service, 
as several were wounded in this disgraceful affray. A 
dead body was discovered later on in Esplanade street. 

One of the victims was a member of the " Washington 
Guards. ' ' Fearing that if a military parade attended 
the funeral some disturbance might again disturb the 
public peace. Captain Hozey, who was a man of nerve 
and sound judgment, ordered the soldier companions of 
the deceased to turn out in citizens' clothes. He was a 
thorough disciplinarian, and, after the obsequies were 
over, so confident was he of the fidelity of his men to 
the cause of law and order, that he proffered their 
services to the Mayor as a guard to the judge's residence. 
But the proposition was gratefully declined, as public 
opinion had too strongly set in against any renewed dis- 
orders. Peace and calm reflection had reassumed their 
mastery. 

Such are the sad details of an affair which, forming 
part of the history of our judiciary, has been long a sub- 
ject of comment among the older members of the bar. 
Judge Bermudez seldom spoke of the subject, and onl)' 
when questioned by intimate friends. I believe no one 
regretted the occurrence more than he did, for he was 
kind, chivalrous and humane, never exhibiting anger 
except under strong provocation. 



CHAPTER XV. 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 



A UNIQUE SCENE IN COURT — ZACHARY TAYLOR AND 
WM. O. BUTLER — KENTUCKY TROOPS ASKING FOR THEIR 
DISCHARGE — JEAN GRAVIER — HIS EARLY HISTORY AND 
MISERABLE DEATH — A SAD RECORD OF INGRATITUDE — 
HISTORY OF THE BATTURE CASE — THE CLAY MONUMENT 
— THE LAYING OF THE CORNER STONE — MASONIC CERE- 
MONIES — PUBLIC ADDRESSES, ETC. — THE INQUISITION 
IN LOUISIANA — PRINCES IN EXILE — LOUIS PHILIPPE IN 
NEW ORLEANS — THE MARIGNYS IN PARIS — AN EDITOR 
MOBBED — HIS PRINTING OFFICE GUTTED — THE TROOPS 
CALLKD OUT. 



The Fifth District Court of New Orleans was, on Fri- 
day, July 7, 1848, the scene of a singular occurrence. 
On that occasion there appeared as litigants before Judge 
A. M. Buchanan no less personages than the Whig can- 
didate for the Presidency of the United States and the 
Democratic nominee for the Vice Presidency. I allude 
to Major Generals Zachary Taylor and William O. Butler, 
The judge looked unusually dignified and impressed, 
and appeared to be struck by the peculiar coincidence. 
These two distinguished postulants for the highest offices 
in the gift of the people, heroes on many glorious battle 
fields, were dressed in the simple garb of citizens, and 
265 



266 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

acted as though they recognized their amenability to the 
tribunals of the country. Cedant arma togce. It was a 
grateful and practical illustration of our republican in- 
stitutions. A large concourse of spectators were in at- 
tendance, among whom were officers of the army and 
members of the bar, attracted by the novel character of 
the proceedings. Such a thing as the candidates of the 
two great political parties being brought " into court" 
had never happened within the memory of the oldest 
clerk or sheriff, and they never expected to look upon 
the like again. 

The cause of the appearance of these illustrious officers 
before our judiciary originated in this wise : Some of the 
volunteers who had recently arrived from Mexico, tired 
of the dull routine of camp duty and the strictness of 
military service, had determined to obtain their dis- 
charge by an application to the courts. Accordingly a 
petition was prepared and presented to Judge Buchanan, 
which set forth, in substance, that George W. Eames, 
Wm. P. Payne, Thomas M. Davis, etc., of the Fourth 
Regiment of Kentucky Volunteers, had enlisted and 
been mustered into the service of the United States ' ' for 
the term of the war with Mexico ; " that on the 2d of 
June, 1848, at the city of Mexico, General Butler, then 
commander in chief of the army, published general or- 
ders to the brigade in which petitioners were serving, 
that the war was ended ; that petitioners marched to 
Vera Cruz, and were thence transported to New Orleans, 
where they arrived on the 5th of July ; and, after de- 
mand and refusal of their discharge, they, in pursuance 
of their rights and privileges as citizens of the United 
States, which they enjoyed in common with every other 
citizen under the Constitution and laws of the United 
States, entered the city of New Orleans without asking 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 267 

the permission or consent of Col. John S. Williams 
(colonel of their regiment) Gen. Wm. O. Butler or Gen. 
Z. Taylor ; in consequence of this act they had been 
arrested and placed in the custody of Sergeant Proctor, 
and are now in his custody and defrauded of their rights ; 
that, by the terms of their enlistment and contract, on 
the 4th of October, 1847, they had bound themselves to 
serve the United States faithfully for and during the 
term of the then existing war with Mexico, but for a no 
longer period ; that the war with Mexico had expired ; 
that they had been duly notified of this fact by a general 
order issued and published at Ayutla, in the Republic 
of Mexico, on the 2d of June, 1848, by Major General 
Butler ; that this was the only way known to the laws 
of the United States by which, as soldiers, they could 
be officially notified of the expiration of their term of 
service. 

They therefore respectfully asked that a writ of 
habeas corpus might issue in their behalf, directed to 
John S. Williams, colonel of the Fourth Regiment 
Kentucky Volunteers ; Major General Wm. O. Butler, 
Major General Zachary Taylor and Brevet Brigadier 
General Geo. M. Brooks, by whose joint orders and 
authority they had been deprived of their liberty and 
kept in custody ; and that they might receive their full 
and final release, and further their final discharge from 
the service of the United States as soldiers thereof. 

The answer or more technically speaking, the " re- 
turn " of General Taylor to the writ, set forth in sub- 
stance that the said compl-aiuants were soldiers of the 
United States, by voluntary enlistment, and as such 
belonged exclusively to the command of General But- 
ler, who was now in court and ready to answer for their 
supposed illegal capture and detention. He further 



268 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

said that he had not at the time of the issuing of the 
said writ, nor had he at any time since, in any way 
disturbed or restrained the personal liberty of the said 
complainants, and prayed to be hence discharged. Gen- 
eral Brooks' answer was similar, and disclaimed any 
interference with their personal freedom. 

The answer of General Butler was a square and unre- 
served denial of the right of the volunteers to the relief 
applied for. 

The case of the complainants had been entrusted 
to S. S. Prentiss, the most fervid, eloquent and brilliant 
orator of the South. His effort was masterly. 

The points involved were two-fold — i. Could the war 
be said to have terminated before official proclamation 
of a treaty of peace? 2. At what place were the troops 
to be disbanded ? At the place of their enlistment or 
at the first point of American territory reached ? 

Judge Buchanan decided the case against the appli- 
cants. After an exhaustive review of the salient objec- 
tions offered, he thus concluded his opinion: 

" In the meantime, and pending the unavoidable de- 
lays attending the mustering out of the service and pay- 
ing off of the different corps enlisted for the war, it ap- 
pears to me absolutely indispensable that the military 
organization should be preserved. Without the salu- 
tary restraints of military discipline, an army degener- 
ates into a mob, and the worst of mobs, the terror of any 
community which may be unfortunate enough to be in 
contact with it. The military organization seems tome 
no less indispensable in the interest of the soldier him- 
self during the necessary delays which must elapse be- 
tween the landing of the Fourth Kentucky Regiment, 
for example, at New Orleans, and its discharge at Lou- 
isville. For. how can the muster rolls be verified at 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 269 

L/Ouisville, unless the men are kept together in New Or- 
leans, and on the passage up the rivers Mississippi and 
Ohio ? 

" In conclusion, I may be permitted to say that I do 
not see any good reason for the anticipation of evil ex- 
pressed by the eloquent counsel of the petitioners, 
should the orders of the War Department be allowed to 
take effect in relation to the volunteers. The eulogium 
which that gentleman has passed upon the care and at- 
tention bestowed by the distinguished Commander in 
Chief of the army in Mexico upon the comfort and 
wants of his troops is no less just than exacted. The 
troops have certainly been forwarded thus far on their 
way home with unexampled dispatch, and we are fully 
warranted in believing that the concluding stages of 
their return route will be equally expeditious. Should 
I grant the prayer of these petitioners, I might find my- 
self obliged to add to my already somewhat onerous 
duties those of mustering officer and paymaster of the 
forces. I doubt whether our gallant soldiers would 
benefit by my assumption of these novel judicial duties. 
But, without any jest (which is, perhaps, misplaced 
upon this really important occasion), my interference 
in the premises, it appears to me, would be liable to the 
grave charge of unconstitutionality, by trenching upon 
the special department of the executive authority of the 
nation." 

These proceedings, so novel in their character, and so 
far-reaching in their effects, had become a quasi na- 
tional question, and had assumed to some extent the 
character of an important factor in the presidential cam- 
paign, then pending. Prentiss, as it is well known, was 
a strong, if not an original supporter of the gallant hero 
of Palo Alto and Buena Vista, and the capture of the 



270 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Kentucky vote and adjoining States was a matter of 
deep concern to the Whigs. Viewed in that light, the 
case was semi-political. 

A peculiar feature of this application for a writ of 
habeas corpus was its striking analogy to the question 
involved in the defence of General Jackson before Judge 
Dominick A. Hall, when charged with flagrant con- 
tempt. The reader will remember that on that occa- 
sion, the French citizens, who had enlisted to defend 
lyouisiana from invasion, claimed their discharge on 
the ground that the enemy had retired from our terri- 
tory, and that a treaty of peace had been concluded 
between the belligerent powers. General Jackson re- 
fused their request, basing his action upon the fact 
that if such was the fact, the same had never been 
officially promulgated or made known to him by his 
government. Then it was that Louallier, a French- 
man by birth, but a patriotic member of our State 
I^egislature, energetically protested against this view of 
the case, in an able but rather intemperate article pub- 
lished in the lyouisiana Courier. Thereupon Jackson 
caused him to be arrested. A writ of habeas corpus was 
issued in his behalf in Judge Hall's court. Old Hick- 
ory, to use his characteristic expression, "jugged the 
judge," and sent him out of his lines. Thus it will be 
perceived, one of the main incidental points of the 
question, as to the effect of the treaty, rested upon its 
" promulgation." 

The decision of the court was acquiesced in cheer- 
fully and promptly by all parties in interest, and warmly 
commended by the Federal authorities in Washington. 
Though harshly dealt with as they thought the Ken- 
tuckians remained within their barracks, attentive to 
their duties and obedient to the orders of their su- 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 27 1 

periors, thus giving the highest evidence of their pa- 
triotism and respect for the laws of their country. 

In a dingy cabin, situated in the most retired spot of 
the obscurest portion of the faubourg St. Mary, passed 
away from life on the ist day of October, 1834, at the 
age of ninety-five years, Jean Gravier, a native of Ber- 
gerac, department of Dordogne, France. He had been 
a resident of New Orleans for nearly half a century, and 
was known by everybody for the heavy monetary trans- 
actions in which he had been engaged, and the vast 
land speculations into which he had plunged. He had 
been the possessor of untold thousands, accumulated by 
dint of thrift, sagacity and scrupulous honesty — a wealth 
subsequently scattered to the winds by envious, artful 
and dishonorable schemers. After having been the 
lord and master of that vast extent of territory, which 
once formed the faubourg St. Mary, besides its valuable 
banlieu, as it was then termed, he died in a condition 
of abject indigence, occasioned by vexatious law suits 
instituted by former beneficiaries of his unbounded 
charity and munificence, and only left muniments and 
evidences of title to very large estates. 

Louisianians may well afford to throw a few flowers, 
I will not say upon his tomb, for he had none, but 
over the memory of one of our most remarkable city 
founders. Though reviled and derided by people whose 
low instincts precluded them forming a just apprecia- 
tion of his character— he was in the Christian 
meaning of the term the type of a good Samaritan. 
With his emaciated body was also interred the recollec- 
tion of his many good deeds. During the last period of • 
his earthly career he had been the object of attack from 
designing ingrates, who sought by every means known 



272 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

to the law to dispossess him of his long-acquired acres, 
and to precipitate him in his decrepid and imbecile state 
into a condition of hopeless embarrassment. Those who 
enjoyed his friendship and confidence invariably avowed 
that notwithstanding these cruel persecutions, he never 
recriminated or injured any one, but bore his misfor- 
tunes with fortitude and resignation. In fact, at the very 
time when perfidious advisers were urging him on to his 
ruin, he never brought suit against any of his debtors, 
although it was a well-known fact that many among 
them were in a condition to easily liquidate their liabil- 
ities, and by so doing have relieved him of his pressing 
necessities. 

Though reduced to penury and abandonment by the 
wretches whom he had enriched, it can not be denied 
that in every situation in life, his doors were ever open 
to the needy and the unfortunate. A fact not generally 
known is that he was a physician by profession. Com- 
bining a thorough knowledge of chemistry with a long 
medical experience, he had devoted a large portion of 
his life to the successful treatment of the sick, not for 
the sake of lucre and speculation, but solely in the in- 
terest of suffering humanity. Notwithstanding the 
weight of advancing age, he would hie himself on foot 
wherever called, and unlike certain members of the 
faculty that we all wot of, never looked around the poor 
man's bedroom to ascertain the value of his furniture. 
In the cholera and yellow fever epidemics that preceded 
his death, and scourged New Orleans with such a mer- 
ciless hand, his efforts night and day were unceasing, 
and to his superior knowledge in the science of healing 
•is probably due, during that eventful period, the pre- 
servation of the writer's maternal grandmother's life. 

What adds humiliation to the catastrophe which de- 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 273 

prived the community of this virtuous citizen, was the 
state of complete want into which he had fallen, being 
destitute of the most ordinary necessaries of life. Not 
one among the hundreds whom he had frequently suc- 
cored through the sad vicissitudes of life, ever came to 
his deserted habitation, or offered him the least com- 
fort or relief. Hungry, helpless and unhelped, they al- 
lowed him to die like a dog — I know of no expression 
more applicable to his fate — without even the last rites 
of religion. And yet among these were some who 
owned properties derived from his benevolence ; others, 
who had purchased from him entire squares of ground for 
a mere pittance, though of great value, paid in cotton 
seed, old clothes, and other rubbish ; others, incarnate 
Shy locks, who had foreclosed their mortgages on large 
plantations, at the very period when his financial straits 
rendered it materially impossible for him to redeem his 
engagements. They fell upon him like birds of prey 
upon the dying soldier on the battle-field, and never 
ceased their tormenting attacks upon his quivering 
frame until life itself had become extinct. 

But I am mistaken when I say no one visited him in 
his dying moments. Several lawyers with litigating 
claimants at their heels attended his agony, and ob- 
truded their noxious presence upon the privacy and 
sanctity of his last hours on earth, without bestowing a 
single thought upon his comfort, spiritual or physical. 
They had come to witness his demise, as a matter of 
judicial form, and to affix the seal of the law to his 
papers and effects. What cared they for his body or its 
proper inhumation ? Is it needless to say that they never 
gave a thought to his funeral — one worthy of a man 
who had played such an Important part in the city's 
history — except to convey the information of his death 



274 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

to the town sexton. Fearing to be called upon to con- 
tribute a few dollars, they notified none of his friends, 
so that Jean Gravier, who had been thrice a millionaire, 
was buried in a pauper's grave. His corpse, covered 
with the vermin-eaten rags that had enveloped his 
body during his long, lingering sickness, was thrust 
into a rude cypress coffin, thrown upon a dray, taken 
out without any attendants to the old Catholic cem- 
etery, and there literally dumped into a slimy hole, 
which had been dug with difficulty through the decay- 
ing and crumbling fragments of those who had preceded 
him in that last dismal abode. Not even a cross or 
wooden tablet was erected to mark his final resting 
place, where friend or wayfarer might have stopped to 
ponder over the strange fortunes of a man who had 
exceeded by a quarter of a century the span of life 
allotted to frail mortality — a life spent in alternate sea- 
sons of opulence and squalid poverty. Forcibly does 
his fate recall to mind the lines of the poet : 

" Optima quoque dies miseris mortalibus, 

Prima fugit; subeunt morbi, tristisque senectus, 
Et labor, et duro rapit inclementia mortis!" 

Connected with the growth and incipient development 
of the city of New Orleans, the life of Jean Gravier is 
replete with historic interest. His long and celebrated 
litigation, begun in 1806, and involving the right of 
ownership in and to the " batture " in front of the city, 
above Canal street, constitutes in our jurisprudence an 
era as marked and distinct as that which subsequently 
characterized the " Gaines Case " — a case which, in the 
opinion of ancient denizens, yet living and cognizant of 
facts of universal notoriety, dispossessed thousands of 
their rightful properties and of their honest earnings. 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 275 

Not SO with the batture case referred to, which now 
forms part of the domain of our State history, and the 
particulars of which are described in an entertaining 
manner by Mr. Gayarre in his treatise on the " Ameri- 
can Domination" of Louisiana. This immense and 
valuable tract, acquired in part by Edward Livingston, 
as transferee of Gravier and in consideration of profes- 
sional services rendered, was " a piece of land of com- 
paratively recent formation. " " It had been occupied," 
says that author, " as a common by the city for many 
years previous, and the title which the city had to it 
was, in the opinion of the inhabitants, unquestionable. 
It had happened, however, that Livingston had prose- 
cuted with success his claim, and in pursuance of a de- 
cree of the Superior Court of the Territory, the plain- 
tiff had been put in possession by the sheriff. A few 
days afterward Livingston employed a number of ne- 
groes to commence the digging of a canal which he 
projected to make in a part of the laud decreed to him 
by the court, but the citizens assembled in considerable 
force and drove him off. On the day following, Living- 
ston went again to the land in question with a view of 
exercising his rights of ownership, but was again op- 
posed by the citizens." 

The history to the title to this most valuable piece of 
propertv is little known, though connected with an 
event fraught with interest to the Catholic church. It 
had been originally owned by the Jesuits and purchased 
in parcels. The first acquisition was made in 1726 
from Bienville, Governor of the province ; the second 
from the same party in 1728, and the residue in 1743. 
from a Mr. LeBreton. 

In the year 1763, the order of the Jesuits having been 
abolished by a Papal bull, all their estates were for- 



276 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

felted to the crown. Although the province had been 
already ceded by France to Spain, yet as the treaty had 
been kept a profound secret and was not put into execu- 
tion until six years thereafter, the edict of confiscation 
was enforced for the benefit of the former nation only, 
and under it the property was seized and disposed of. 
The portion of this land, adjudged to the city, was pur- 
chased by persons from whom it passed to Bertrand 
Gravier, Jean's brother, who cultivated it as a planta- 
tion. 

The various phases which the contention over this 
possession of our river front assumed are fully described 
in our several histories, to which the reader must refer 
for details and particulars. Suffice it to say, that Gravier's 
claim to the ownership of the land was finally confirmed. 
It was worth millions of dollars. Engaged meanwhile 
in interminable law suits, the natural "offshoot of this 
protracted litigation, he found himself compelled, as we 
have already seen, to dispose by piecemeal, and for 
trifling values, large sections in that growing part of 
our city. 

Some time ago, while looking over a lot of old musty 
records, my eyes chanced to fall upon a partial list of 
property advertised at his succession sale. I say partial, 
for the estate to be disposed of then comprised only that 
portion extending from Dryades street back to Bolivar. 
This was several years after his death. What disposi- 
tion was made of the residue of his property I am unable 
to say, but the records of the old " Probate Court " are 
still attainable, I believe. One thing however is un- 
doubted, that at the time of his demise, he was possessed 
of a fortune sufficiently large to have warranted the out- 
lay necessary to have furnished his prostrate frame with 
proper nourishment, and his verm in -covered body with 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 277 

a decent Christian burial ! Gravier street is now the 
only reminder left of his name and good deeds. 

A remarkable event in the history of New Orleans was 
the laying and dedication of the corner stone to the mon- 
ument of Henry Clay, at the intersection of Canal and 
Royal streets. Under the auspices of the ' ' Clay Monu- 
mental Association," of which I happened to be an 
humble member, this tribute to the memory of a great 
and good American was raised in commemoration of 
heroic deeds achieved in the councils of the nation, on 
behalf of American industry, nationality and honor. 

It is needless to say who Henry Clay was. No one 
came nearer in touch with the people than he. He was 
not only a typical Southerner, with all his vices and 
foibles, but a statesmen above the prejudices of section, 
caste or sectionalism. His eloquence was magnetic. 
His popularity was immense. Under the spell of his 
silvery voice, thousands were attracted under his banner, 
and unswervingly stood by him. In Louisiana, where he 
was a frequent visitor, and in which state his daughter 
had been married to a member of the Duralde family, he 
was looked upon as one to the "manner born." His 
frequent sojourns with his intimate friend. Judge Alex- 
ander Porter, of St. Mary, are well remembered bj' the 
old time inhabitants of Franklin, and have furnished 
material for very pleasant reminiscences. 

Saturday, April 12, 1856, the anniversary of the illus- 
trious orator's birth, was the day selected for the com- 
memorative manifestation. It was a great occasion of 
gala in New Orleans. At dawn loud peals of artillery 
awoke the slumbering city and announced the approach 
of the auspicious event. Manual work and trade were 
practically suspended, and the town seemed to have 



278 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

turned out en masse to enjoy the delightful spring time 
and do honor to the event. Early in the morning 
our streets began to be thronged with people, and mili- 
tary companies with music and banners, as well as civic 
societies, were to be seen moving from every direction. 
The galleries on Canal street, especially those in the 
vicinity of Royal street, were crowded with beautiful 
and gayly attired ladies. Difficult would be the task of 
describing at length the brilliant pageant which was to 
be seen along every avenue leading to the spot about to 
be consecrated to the memory of the illustrious orator 
and sage. In the procession our uniformed companies, 
firemen, benevolent societies and trades unions had been 
assigned appropriate positions. At i o'clock p. m. , 
when the ceremonies were about to proceed, the large 
platform erected for the accommodation of the " Clay 
Association " and invited guests was surrounded by a 
compact mass of upturned faces. 

The laying of the corner stone was entrusted to the 
Masonic fraternity of which Henry Clay had been an 
active and illustrious member. 

The ceremonies began by the officers of the Grand 
lyodge, clad in their appropriate regalia, reading the 
Manual Prayer, after which, in a cavity of the stone, 
the following memoranda were placed : 

1. Life of Henry Clay, by George D. Prentice. 

2. Life and Times of Henry Clay, by Calvin Cotton. 

3. Private correspondence of Henry Clay. 

4. The names of the President of the United States 
and his Cabinet, of the Governor of Louisiana and State 
officers, of the Mayor of the city of New Orleans and 
city officers, the officers of the customs, and the oflScers 
of the Cla)^ Monumental Association; also copies of the 
daily papers of New Orleans, April 12, 1856, a copy of 



OI,D LOUISIANA DAYS. 279 

the Civil Code of Louisiana, and one of the several 
coins of the United States. 

5. A brass plate bearing the incription : 

"This corner stone of a monument erected to the 
memory of Henry Clay was laid on the 12th day of 
April, A. D. 1856, A. L. 5856, by the M. W. G. Lodge 
of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Louisiana ; 
W. M. Perkins, Grand Master ; H. H. Dorson, D. G. M.; 
S. O. Scruggs, J. G. W. ; L. Texada, S. G. W. ; S. C. 
Mitchell, G. T.; Samuel G. Risk, Grand Secretary." 

At the conclusion of this ceremonial a portion of the 
militia, tired with marching and exposure to the sun, 
filed off toward their armories. The spectacle presented 
as they moved away in the distance, with music and 
flaunting banners was grand. Then came the singing 
of a French ode, composed by that gifted Creole poet, 
Dominique Rouquette, set to music by Prevost, the leader 
of the French Opera, in which the entire troupe of ar- 
tists, accompanied by their orchestra, participated. List- 
ened to with enthusiastic applause, it was one of the 
great surprises of the occasion. 

Judge Theodore McCaleb then delivered the oration. 
As might have been expected, the distinguished 
orator handled his fruitful theme in a masterly manner. 
He began by reviewing the present grandeur, prosperity 
and power of the American Republic, and the influence 
which the wise counsels of Clay and our other great 
statesmen of the last fifty years had exercised in bring- 
ing about this glorious consummation ; continued by an 
allusion to the power of the sculptor's art in ancient and 
modern times to perpetuate grand and heroic deeds, 
and to inspire the j^outh of the countrj' with ambitious 
thoughts ; compared the lives and achievements of Clay 
and Jackson ; reviewed the evidences of the love for the 



28o NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Union which still throbbed in the hearts of the Ameri- 
can people, and concluded by an eloquent appeal, in the 
course of which he denounced the proposition, which 
was being actively discussed, of forming a great " South- 
ern party " to resist the aggressions of the North. 

The discourse of Judge McCaleb was succeeded by an 
address from that accomplished daughter of Alabama, 
Mme. Octavia Walton L,e Vert, which was read in a very 
effective style by the popular young orator, Charles D. 
Dreux ; after which the festival concluded with the 
reading, by the author, M. F. Bigney, Esq., of an in- 
teresting ode. I regret that space prevents me from 
publishing it in its entirety. It began as follows : 

" Lonely the mill boy wends his weary way, 
Too soon inured to toil. A mother's wants — 
A widowed mother's — claim his young regard, 
And labor is a pleasure. Sometimes thoughts 
Prophetic of the future, start his soul. 
And give ambition wings. Golden and grand, 
The hills of Fatne, in the dim distance, rise 
All spangled o'er with triumphs, and he feels 
That he can mount with an earnest tread, 
And wreath a fad-less chaplet for his brow; 
Nature is his instructor— trees and flowers; 
The sparkling gems in Night's cerulean dome; 
The springtime warblers, and th' insensate clod, 
All teach him wondrous love. Bright as the sheen 
Of an archangel's wing, his thoughts take form 
In rudimental beauty, but his tongue, 
As yet unskilled in verbal witcheries, 
All vainly strives to give them fitting speech." 

It concluded as follows : 
" Gone is the peerless commoner, self-made. 
Whose acts were all a triumph; who, to gain 
The proudest honors in a nation's gift, 
Would ne'er forsake the right; and now, his praise 
Falls from all lips in heart-felt gratitude. 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 28 1 

Fitting it ? his cenotaph to rear 

In view o£ the glad waters of that tide 

Whose V "inmerce speaks his constant eulogy; 

This ib the corner stone; and here to-day 

Asserrjled thousands see it fairly laid. 

Abov^, to bear his fame to latest time 

In monumental marble, shall arise 

Tht faint translation of a grateful thought 

W.'iich swells in every breast for Henry Clay." 

A detachment of the Mobile military, consisting of 
the Mobile Cadets, infantry and rifles, under the com- 
mands of Captains Sands, Chamberlain and Bissell, 
which had arrived in the morning, assisted in celebrat- 
ing the day. Quarters were provided for them at the 
St. Ivouis Hotel by the " Continentals," and a number 
of invited guests, including Governor Wickliffe, ex- 
Governor Hebert, Mayor lycwis, and other representa- 
tive gentlemen, sat down to a sumptuous banquet at 
that noted hostelry. Numerous toasts were drank and 
speeches made, and " the feast of reason and the flow 
of soul " was kept up for several hours, when the 
greater part of the company repaired to the St. Charles 
Theatre, by invitation of Manager Ben. DeBar. 

Thus ended the ceremonies of the laying of the corner 
stone of a monument, which for nearly four decades has 
been a proud landmark in the history of New Orleans. 
It is to be regretted that so much has been said about 
the removal of the statue. It is not long ago that the 
fiat went forth. Whether the mandate will be obeyed 
or not, is, at the time I am writing these lines, a 
matter of conjecture. Monopolies usually carry the 
day over patriotic attachments. Iconoclasts are not 
lacking in this generation. The "almighty dollar" 
seems to have invaded the sanctuaries consecrated by 
the affections of our fathers, and to have exDelled there- 



282 NKW ORLEANS AS IT W .^ 

from those holy memories which sanctit. , as it were, 
the glorious past. Around the base of thut bronze ' ' a 
counterfeit presentment " of a pure and great American 
patriot, cluster events not easily forgottei\, not the 
least important of which was the congregation of that 
noble band who, in 1874, under the inspiri.,ion of a 
Marr, and the fervid appeals of an KUis and ai\ Ogden, 
summoned an oppressed community to arms, and taught 
tyrants how frail was their tenure upon the feal y and 
respect of the people. 

It was in later years, a very short time before the in- 
ternecine war between the States, that the bronze 
statue of Henry Clay, molded and executed by Hart, 
a native Kentuckian, was placed upon its pedestal. 

If it be a grateful duty on the part of a historian to 
rescue from oblivion the meritorious deeds of men, who 
have contributed to the cause of humanity and civiliza- 
tion, far more noble is the task which conscience im- 
poses upon him to turn aside the shafts levelesd by the 
hand of calumny. A long suffering victim from this 
system of persecution was P(Sre Antoine, the weak and 
charitable monk who, for more than fifty years, oflficiated 
in our midst. What makes his case more deserving of 
sympathy is the fact that the thrusts directed against 
his good name and religious character should have been 
aimed at him in the very house of his friends, and by per- 
sons high in authority in the church itself. The charges 
that have been preferred against his ministry are numer- 
ous and are even now recorded in the archives of the 
propaganda at Rome. Of this fact no doubt exists. 
Hence, the wide divergence in opinion which now exists, 
not only among the laity of Louisiana, but on the part of 
the Catholic clergy at large, as to the verity of the ac- 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 283 

cusatious laid to his charge. Among these is that of 
his attempt to introduce the Inquisition in the colony, 
which so alarmed the fears and con.science of the Span- 
ish governor as to induce that functionary to exile the 
fanatical priest beyond the jurisdiction of the territory. 
In this matter there is an intermixture of truth with 
fiction, which gives a far more sombre coloring to this 
epi.sode than the facts will justify, and this I propo.se 
clearly to demonstrate to the most obtuse and pre- 
judiced reader. Let a plain, unvarnished statement of 
the facts unfold the tale. It is a historical fact that wher- 
ever Spain exerci.sed dominion, whether in Mexico, Peru, 
Cuba, or her North American po.s.sessions, the pecu- 
liar institutions of the mother country were engrafted 
upon it a;:d became a part and ])arcel of her colonial 
system of government, subject only to .such limitations 
and modifications as might be imposed by the King. 
State and church, of which the vSanta Hermandad 
formed a not inconsiderable part, being blended to- 
gether by almost indissoluble ties, the Inquisition by the 
mere transfer of the territory from France to Spain, 
became ipso facto incorporated into its i)olitical ma- 
chinery. Thus we find that in 1769, immediately after 
the unfortunate execution of the Louisiana patriots and 
the unfurling of the Spanish flag upon the Plaza de 
Armas, Governor O'Reilly, in assuming charge of the 
new acquisition of his royal master, issued his Ba^ido de 
Gobierno, or rules, for the government of the people, in 
which edict, among other equally important matters, I 
find the following article: "The principal object of 
the institution of the tribunal of the Santa Hermandad 
being to repress disorder and to prevent the robberies 
and assassinations committed in unfrequented places 
by vagabonds and delin(|uents who conceal themselves 



384 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

in the woods, from which they sally and attack trav- 
elers and the neighboring inhabitants, the Alcalde 
Mayor Provincial shall assemble a sufficient number 
of members or brothers of the Santa Hermandad (In- 
quisition) to clear his jurisdiction of the perpetrators 
of such evil deeds, by pursuing them with spirit, seiz- 
ing or putting them to death." This was on the 25th 
of November, 1769. Now, when we bear in mind that 
Pere Antoine landed in New Orleans in the year 1779, 
ten years after the event above recorded ; that he was 
instituted curate of the Parochial Church of St. Louis 
on the 25th of November, 1785, and was sent back to 
Spain by Governor Miro in the beginning of 1789 for 
an alleged attempt to introduce the Inquisition here, 
the charge naturally falls to the ground. As instituted, 
defined and limited by General O'Reilly's supreme 
edict, we clearly see that the formidable society whose 
erstwhile excesses in Europe and America had sown so 
many seeds of discord even in the bosom of the church 
itself, had been shorn of all its former powers and en- 
trusted solely with duties preservative of peace, order 
and government. This fact should always be borne in 
mind if we desire to arrive at the exact truth and to 
analyze fairly and conscientiously the motives of the act 
which led to his expulsion from the colony. O'Reilly's 
Bando de Gobierno was never repealed, and such being 
the case, was as obligatory upon the Governor as it 
was upon the humblest layman. Another fact which 
it may be well here to notice is that in Spain the duties 
of the Holy Office were relegated to the Capuchin 
monks, of which order ' Pere Antoine was a member. 
Hence, it can not be a source of much surprise that he 
should have been commissioned by the superior of the 
fraternity in the mother country, to whom he owed re- 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 285 

spect and obedience, with the duty of putting into 
operation the existing law. This letter he received on 
the 5th of December, 1788. It caused him much anx- 
iety and trouble. The duties imposed upon him by his 
beloved parish church were onerous and demanded all 
his care and time. In this perturbed condition of 
mind he kept his appointment secret, and it was only 
in the beginning of the following year that he con- 
cluded to apprise Gov. Miro of the fact by laying before 
him his commission as the head of the Holy Inquisi- 
tion in Ivouisiana and the instructions which he had 
received from Spain. 

From all the facts which I can glean from contem- 
poraneous data, the attitude of Pere Antoine toward 
the chief of the civil authority of the colony was hum- 
ble, respectful and by no means intolerant. He in- 
formed that functionary that he had been urged in a 
letter received by him from the "competent authorities" 
to discharge his new duties with the greatest fidelity 
and zeal, and in conformity with the royal zvill. To 
give effect to the mission entrusted to his fidelity he 
requested the Governor to furnish him with a posse, as 
required by the rules laid down by O'Reilly. To this 
course Miro was averse. As the secular arm was neces- 
sary to enforce the law, a simple, manly refusal on his 
part would have sufficed to strike the proceeding with 
nullity. But he followed a different course. He re- 
ceived the friar with apparent cordiality, promised to 
grant him his request, at the very time that in his mind 
he was planning the ruin of his unsuspecting country- 
man. In this whole transaction the conduct of Miro 
was insincere, unjust; arbitrary and unworthy of the 
reputation of one of lyouisiana's most enlightened gov- 
ernors. When Pere Antoine went back to his parish, 



286 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

his mind was apparently relieved, unsuspicious of any 
lurking danger. But within twenty-four hours after 
the interview, a platoon ot soldiers filed into his bed- 
room and forcibly carried him to a ship about to sail 
for Cadiz. This was done in accordance with orders 
issued from headquarters. Thus, like a common male- 
factor or convicted felon, was the priest transported 
beyond the seas. 

Miro, in a special report bearing date June 3, 1789, 
thus speaks of the affair : " When I read the communi- 
cation of that Capuchin, I shuddered. His Majesty has 
ordered me to foster the increase of population in this 
province * * * Xhe mere mention of the Inquisition 
uttered in New Orleans would be sufficient not only to 
check immigration, which is successfully progressing, 
but would also be capable of driving away those who 
have recently come, and, I even fear that in spite of my 
having sent out of the country Father Sedella, the most 
frightful consequences may ensue from the mere sus- 
picion of the cause of his dismissal." 

Such is, I believe, a correct version of the humiliating 
difficulty in wjiich the good and, perhaps, misguided old 
man became involved. As to the Inquisition itself, al- 
though constituting a part of the governmental ma- 
chinery of State, its existence in our State was merely 
nominal. I do not think that O'Reilly's ordinance was 
ever enforced. If so, it must have been under another 
designation, and under a different system. 



As the general reader is aware. New Orleans was 
visited, in 1798, during the administration of the Mar- 
quis de Casa Calvo, by the exiled Orleans princes, one 
of whom, traveling under the name of Philippe de Co- 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 287 

mine, subsequently became known as Louis-Philippe, 
King of the French. 

During his sojourn among us, which was of several 
months' duration, he was a familiar figure in our 
streets, and in his association with our people was un- 
pretending and democratic. His early training had 
served him in good stead, not to speak of the rough 
edges which a w^andering life had tossed him against. 
He had taken up his residence with Philip Marigny, 
father of Bernard and grandfather of Mandeville, whose 
late demise has been so deeply regretted, and enjoyed 
the hospitalities of the neighboring gentry, who strove 
to make him and his brothers as happy and comfortable 
as possible. He was also for some time the guest of 
Julien Poydras, whom he accompanied to his home in 
Pointe Coupee, with the view of studying the inner his- 
tory of plantation life and African slavery. Whatever 
may have been his conclusions in relation thereto I 
have had no means of determining, but, if one may be 
permitted to judge from his subsequent actions, there is 
reason to believe that the rigidity and sternness with 
which through his fleet, armed cruisers, he enforced the 
suppression of the traffic in human flesh off the coast of 
Africa in after years, were in some measure prompted by 
his early reminiscences and experience in Louisiana. 

His associates and " cicerones " in his rambles 
around the city and suburbs were the D'Aunoys, the 
DeClouets, Col. Bellechasse, and, last, though not least, 
the gritty Irishman named Daniel Clark, who was then 
occupying the important post of American consul. 
These gentlemen, together with the Spanish Governor 
of the province, introduced him as well as his brothers 
into polite society, where he was charmed by the graces 
and the captivating manners of our Creole beauties. 



388 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

When they left New Orleans for Havana, such was the 
affection entertained by our people toward those 
unassuming and grateful scions of royalty that several 
of their most intimate acquaintances escorted them on 
board of their ship as far as the Balize, where they 
parted with unaffected regret. A belief long prevailed 
here that Mandeville Marigny was I^ouis Philippe's 
godson. Such was not the fact, and no one would 
laugh more heartily over the story than Mandeville 
himself. The fact is, that on the occasion referred to 
the Colonel was not yet born, and his father a boy not 
yet out of his teens. The following are the facts from 
which the mistake originated : Many years ago, I 
can not remember how long, old Bernard, once a four- 
fold millionaire, having wasted his patrimony in wine, 
women and cards, bethought himself of repairing to 
France and of reminding the reigning king of certain 
obligations, some pecuniary as well, which he had 
incurred toward the Marigny family. Louis Philippe 
received him with open arms at the Tuileries, lodged 
him royally, allowed him a seat at the family dinner 
table, and otherwise treated him with the greatest con- 
descension. But that was all. Louis Philippe, in his 
old age, had become as miserly and penurious as Ber- 
nard had been shiftless and prodigal in his younger 
years. At the mere mention of a pecuniary payment 
or the suggestion of an annuity, the avaricious king 
pricked his ears and opened wide his e5^es in utter 
astonishment. The fortune hunter had brought along 
with him one of his sons, Mandeville, and through him 
peace between the two courteous disputants was 
brought about. He was to enter the French army, and, 
through the patronage of his royal protector, it was 
thought he would soon ascend every rung of the 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 289 

military ladder. This proposal met the acceptance of 
the parties in interest and the youth was at once sent 
to the College of St. Cyr, which he left, a few years 
later, a full fledged lieutenant in a crack cavalry corps. 
But the young Creole soon tired of the service. 
Accustomed from early youth to a life of activity, 
adventure and rough exercise, he soon became fatigued 
with the dull routine of a city garrison in times of 
peace, and longed for the broad savannas, the tangled 
forests, the impenetrable marshes, the mighty rivers of 
his Louisiana home. Had France been at war with 
some foreign power at that time, the case might have 
been different, perhaps. Besides, there were ominous 
signs in the political sky. The international difficulty 
over the French spoliation bill was exciting a very 
acrimonious debate in the French House of Deputies, 
and the trend of public opinion was becoming insult- 
ingly hostile to the United States. American tourists 
in Paris were placed in a very awkward position at 
times from uncomplimentary remarks uttered in cafes, 
restaurants, theaters and even salo7is; and duels result- 
ing therefrom were not uncommon. In this condition 
of affairs, after attending his cousin, Bosque, who, 
though a cripple, had the good fortune to vanquish 
on the field of honor one of the traducers of his 
country's good name, Mandeville shook the dust of 
Paris from off his feet, and returned home without 
delay. 

It was on a beautiful Sunday morning, on the 30th of 
August, 1835, that a multitude of excited mechanics 
gathered on the grass-covered grounds of the Place 
d'Armes. Thtir object, as far as could be learned, was 
to protest against the further employment of slave labor 



290 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

in workshops or factories of any kind. The first speech 
delivered at that meeting having had a tendency, by 
reason of its revolutionary sentiments, to provoke a gen- 
eral disturbance of the peace, Mr. John Culbertson, then 
filling the duties of mayor ad interim, ordered the police 
to at once arrest the speaker and disperse the unruly as- 
semblage. The order was executed to the very letter. 
But other large crowds having in the meantime gather- 
ed in various quarters of the city, particularly in the 
faubourg St. Mary, where the standard of revolt had 
been openly planted, several companies were detached 
from the Ivouisiana L,egion for service, and succeeded 
after some resistance in quelling the disturbance. Three 
or four of the ringleaders were taken into custody on 
the charge of inciting riots. A judicial inquiry hav- 
ing been determined upon and held, the conduct of 
the acting mayor was fully approved. During four days 
the city was kept in a state of ferment and excitement, 
and violence was only repressed by the efforts of the po- 
lice and the firm attitude of our citizen soldiery. 

It was not long, however, before the smouldering 
embers of discontent and anger burst forth anew with 
greater intensity among those who had battled on be- 
half of law and order. It was an outbreak of general 
indignation, and had Ibeen occasioned by an ill-timed 
and inconsiderate squib which had appeared in the edi- 
torial columns of the Advertiser , a widely circulated 
sheet, against the members of the L,egion. These were 
taunted with their foreign birth and were plainly told 
that if a war were ever declared against France, they 
would prove recreant and traitors. Such was not the 
truth, for the greater part of our Creole chivalry and 
manhood had honorable representatives in that organ- 
ization. The real gravamen of their offending consist- 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 29 1 

ed in the fact that they had taken arms on the side of 
the government against an unruly mob. 

The soldiery were, of course, incensed at this direct 
insult, while the feelings of their friends were no less 
inflamed. Groups congregated around street corners 
to discuss the situation, and the angry effects of wound- 
ed honor were not long in manifesting themselves. 
They therefore repaired to the office of the obnoxious 
paper, in Chartres street, to arrest the parties connected 
with the outrage. They there found Mr. J. C. Pren- 
dergast, one of the proprietors, whom they compelled 
to lead them to the residence of Dr. Vernon, the re- 
sponsible editor, but finding that the libeler had effected 
his escape, they conducted Prendergast to the police 
station, where he was seized by the crowd and threat- 
ened with death. Such most surely would have been 
his fate had not the active intervention of the Mayor, 
the Attorney General, the judge of the criminal court 
and of many members of the Legion itself, rescued him 
from his peril. 

Prendergast was thus saved from the fury of an 
angry populace, while on their way to the public 
square, with a halter round his neck. He was put into 
the jail for safekeeping. Vernon had escaped. On the 
first intimation of a popular outbreak, the thoroughly 
affrighted editor had taken to flight, and, reaching Lake 
Pontchartrain, hastened to Mobile, from which propi- 
tious haven he never emerged until the storm had 
spent its fury. Pending these events, surging crowds 
had gathered in thousands around the now doomed 
newspaper office and had proceeded to wreak their ven- 
geance. The building was partially gutted, the presses 
overturned and large quantities of type hurled through 
the windows into the street. Whatever fell under the 



292 NEW ORIvEANS AS IT WAS. 

hands of the almost ungovernable multitude was dam- 
aged, if not wholly destroyed. Again were the city 
and State authorities called upon to interpose their 
power and influence, but their efforts proved partially 
successful. The arrival of the U. S. troops, under 
Col. Twiggs, which had been hastily summoned from 
their garrison at Bay St. lyouis, finally restored peace 
and relieved the community of the moral and physical 
strain to which it had for several days been subjected. 

The sequel is easily told. Prendergast, having made 
a suitable explanation and apology, was restored to 
public favor. Dr. Vernon, the author of the senseless 
pasquinade, returned from his place of confinement. 
The negroes were put to work, as they had done before, 
without further molestation, and " peace reigned in 
Warsaw" once more. 

I knew Prendergast well in later years. He was a 
genial, warm-hearted Irishman, brave as a lion and 
gentle as a child. In politics he was an enthusiast. 
Locofoco-ism was his bete noire, and, unlike the major- 
ity of his countrymen, was ever readj^ to defend, extol 
and propagate the tenets of Whiggery. When he left 
the sanctum of the Advertiser he cast his fortunes 
with the Tropic, one of the sprightliest, most tren- 
chant and aggressive papers that ever appeared in New 
Orleans. The chief editor was the celebrated Col. 
McArdle, of Mississippi, who wielded a caustic and 
powerful pen. All of its editors were fighting men who 
recognized the "Code" as the supreme arbiter of per- 
sonal differences. Prendergast remained some time with 
them, and, being a practical printer, was of great 
assistance to the concern. Tiring, a few years after, of 
the financially unproductive connection, he determined 
to launch out on his own account in the Third District, 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 293 

and established the Orleariian, in the Marigny buildings, 
on the levee. This paper he conducted with signal 
ability during the rest of his life, which closed some 
short time after the war. During and after the famine 
of 1845-46 in Ireland, when the exodus from that un- 
fortunate island first began, and thousands sought a 
home in our city, Prendergast was indefatigable in his 
efforts to alleviate the distress and relieve the necessi- 
ties of such of his countrymen as needed immediate 
assistance. He caused temporary quarters to be estab- 
lished in the row of three-story buildings in which his 
printing office was situated for the reception of the 
emigrants, where committees, appointed for the purpose, 
acted the part of good Samaritans and obtained for 
them employment at once. His paper was, of course, 
the medium through which this important work was 
accomplished. The Orleanian was the official journal 
of the Third Municipality until the consolidation of the 
city in 1852, and had the contract for all the public 
printing in that rather impoverished section. For years 
he manfully fought the battle of adversity, and when 
death overtook him in his journey through life, it 
carried off a poor, but fearless and honest man. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 



COLORED MECHA.NICS — THE SLAVE TRADE — NEGRO 
DANCES — THE GAME OF RAQUETTES — THE ST. DOMINGO 
REFUGEES — LE CAFE DES REFUGIES — L' HOTEL DE LA 
MARINE — THE LAFITTES — WERE THEY PIRATES? — THE 
STORY PLAINLY TOLD — ANCIENT BUILDINGS — PERE AN- 
TOINE'S baker — THE OLD PONTALBA BUILDINGS — 
THE governor's RESIDENCE — THE COLONIAL STATE 
HOUSE — L' HOTEL TREMOULET — LE VEAU QUI TETE — 
THE VOYAGEURS — TRAVELING ON THE MISSISSIPPI — 

KEEL BOATS A WORD ABOUT TIGNONS — THE OLD 

FORTIFICATIONS — THE ORLEANS COLLEGE — THE FRENCH 
BARRACKS — REMINISCENCES OF THE BATTLE OP NEW 
ORLEANS. 



During the two or three decades that followed the 
transfer of Louisiana to the United States, the tide of 
immigration was slow and uncertain. Several causes 
had contributed to this result, one of which was the 
stagnation of business occasioned by our war with Eng- 
land. A scarcity of white manual labor having ensued, 
it became necessary to substitute slaves and free colored 
people in all mechanical pursuits. Thus it was that in 
our factories and blacksmith shops bosses or foremen 
would be whites, while the operatives were either blacks 
294 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 295 

or nuilattoes. And so with other trades, such as brick- 
layers or masons, carpenters, painters, tinsmiths, butch- 
ers, bakers, tailors, etc. In fact, had not the progress 
of the country, from the condition of unrest under which 
it had been laboring, developed itself into the propor- 
tions which it has since assumed, there can not be the 
least doubt but that all the lower mechanical arts would 
have been monopolized in the course of time by the 
African race. But the reverse fortunately took place, by 
reason of the influx of white immigrants, so that even 
the branches of industry, which had by common consent 
surrendered to the colored population as too menial for 
the white race, were wrested from them b}^ the encroach- 
ments of foreign labor. 

It was at this phase of our municipal history that the 
problem began to manifest its latent difficulties, and that 
the excessive amount of European labor in our glutted 
market brought about that reduction of wages that has 
to-day pauperized the houest American mechanic. This 
evil weighed heavily on the community at the time, and 
so continued for 3^ears, until, just immediately before 
the breaking out of hostilities, the owners of slaves raised 
to a trade were compelled to dispose of them to sugar 
and cotton planters, in regions where rivalry with the 
white industrial class was not so disadvantageous. But 
even there all mechanical professions were soon filled 
by immigrants, who, being stimulated by the spur of 
necessity, consented to work at scab rates and carried 
off tie palm of industry. 

On board of the pilot boats of the Balize were a num- 
ber of black and colored boatmen, than whom no smarter 
sailors or rowers could be found. Their songs, while 
deftly feathering their oars, were an indispensable ac- 
companiment to their fatiguing labors. The blacks 



296 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

were generally composed of newly landed Africans, as 
the slave trade was still secretly being carried on. It is 
a well established fact that such philanthropists and 
negrophilists, as John McDonogh eventually proved 
to be, were by no means behind the times in dealing 
with human flesh, as fast as it was imported to our shores 
from the coast of Africa, as can be shown by referring 
to their business advertisements in the Moniteur of 1 806. 
Even at a much later period, these kidnaped victims 
were openly smuggled into the Mississippi waters, either 
by the way of Barataria, Lafourche or other bayous. A 
chronicler of that period says : 

' ' We can attest that upon a plantation belonging to 
the United States authorities we saw a number of newly 
arrived negroes from the coast of Guinea, who had been 
carried into the Mississippi in 18 16, as captured prizes, 
by United States armed vessels, and who were afterward 
disposed of hy public sale, under the Marshal's hammer, 
to the highest bidder, in accordance with the prevailing 
law for the disposal of captured slaves. ' ' 

Subsequently, Congress altered this policy, and cap- 
tured Africans were transferred to lyiberia. When speak- 
ing to one another they would make use of no other tongue 
than their own Congo calabash, of which, of course, a 
stranger could not understand a word ; but, being 
very quick of ear, they soon learned the Creole idiom, 
then spoken by everybody. They could never master 
the pure French, which was mostly in vogue among the 
Franco- American population. 

There were among these Africans, both among the 
males as well as the females, several magnificent speci- 
mens, who were justly considered as models of physical 
development. They were generally reverenced among 
their countrymen as kings or princes. They claimed to 



OLD I.OUISIANA DAYS. 297 

have been the offspring of sovereigns in their African 
wilds, and to have thence been ruthlessly abducted by- 
traders, who had brought them over the sea. Whether 
descendants from princes or not, it is to be acknowledged 
that certain fellows pointed out in the Congo dances 
were distinguished by something of a royal bearing. 
They were of robust frame, broad shouldered and mus- 
cular. When attired in scant costume for the 'hamboiila 
their almost herculean conformation was noticeable. 
Two of these that I saw were blacksmiths, and were 
called by all the African womanhood candios, which 
means kings. 

These illustrious ebony-hued personages were looked 
upon as the great dancers of the circle, the leading spirits 
in the mazes of the Congo Saturnalia. They inaugurated 
the universal hubbub by a signal given to the tam-tam 
beaters. Selecting their female mates, the}^ would place 
themselves in the midst of a ring of yelling, yelping and 
stamping crowds, who looked upon their saltatory feats 
with every manifestation of delight. The public ex- 
hibition was continued until, fairly exhausted, they 
would sink to the ground. Judging them by these per- 
formances, one would have said if in their country those 
only were elected kings who could jump the highest 
and dance the longest, their kingship was no sinecure. 
He would have been astounded also by their supernatural 
extravagances, their unnatural contortions, and by the 
band of weird-looking Bacchantes, each of whom seemed 
to vie with the others in ridiculous capers. Their music, 
as the reader is already aware, consisted in beating long 
drums, called tam.-tams, made of empty barrels with a 
sheep-skin cover, in the rattling of the jaw-bones of 
horses or mules, and the tooting of wooden horns shaped 
like those of a cow. To these ^ tambourine was some- 



298 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

times added, but the article was evidently a modern 
innovation. 

What made these dances so odd and peculiar was the 
vibratory motions of the by-standers, who in different 
styles contributed to the lascivious effect of the scene, 
while the principal characters were going through the 
figures. The performances were usually greeted by the 
vociferous acclamations and clapping of hands of all the 
assistants, and toward the close there followed such a 
whirling of the whole mass that one might have imagined 
a group of serpents interlacing one another, and casting 
a charm upon the throng of dancers and spectators. 

While speaking of Congo amusements, I must not 
omit to mention the game of raqicettes, as it was played 
among us in our city's early days. L/Ct the reader trans- 
port himself in imagination to one of those wide, level 
meadows that were to be seen extending from the Bayou 
road to Elysian Fields. In these wild and unobstructed 
pastures the two parties, into which the company of 
players had first divided themselves, would select a 
piece of ground and measure out the distance between 
their respective quarters or stations, usually half a mile. 
At the extremities of this line two poles were erected, 
and the intervening space was covered by a paper frame, 
which had to be pierced by a ball before a victory could 
be claimed. This game had originated with the Indians, 
particularly with the Choctaws. The contending clans 
were known as the Bayo2is and the La Villes. The Lat- 
ter were the players of the city proper ; the former rep- 
resented the Bayou St. John settlements. The con- 
testants were picked out by the opposite leaders, and 
the number of members equalized as nearly as possible. 

The ball was about two inches in diameter, and the 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 299 

Spoon-shaped raquettes were proportioned to the size of 
the missile. Their handles were about eighteen to 
twenty inches long. The ball could only be thrown 
with the raquettes, as the use of the hand was strictly 
prohibited. Wrestling and throwing one another down 
constituted part of the exercises. Frequently it would 
happen that just as a player was about to strike the goal, 
he would be unexpectedly hurled to the ground by a 
more alert antagonist. All fighting, beating or box- 
ing was expressly forbidden. After the first throw in 
the air, which was called the bamboula, the whole crowd 
would eagerly watch the descent of the ball and rush for 
it. The game was then fairly started. From that mo- 
ment the projectile was to be seen speeding through 
space from one end of the field to the other ; groups 
would become interlocked in their efforts to reach it, 
and many in consequence would suffer from severe falls. 

It would sometimes happen that in this general scram- 
ble, when contestants were unable to extricate them- 
selves from one another, a new bambonla would be de- 
manded by both sides. Then the ball was again tossed 
in the air, and to the player it was the most exciting 
part of the pastime. 

These games were played on regular days. They al- 
ways began in the afternoon, when the sun was on its 
decline, say from 4 to 7 p. m. in the summer season. 
The running, wrestling and dexterity of the players were 
not only very exciting spectacles, but the eager crowd 
of spectators and acquaintances, running into the thou- 
sands, that usually gathered on the " raquette green," 
made such occasions a source of social entertainment. 
The vicinity of the grounds was covered with improvised 
places of refreshment, small booths for all sorts of cakes, 
fruits, sweet beer, ice cream, etc. Indeed, there could 



300 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

not be a more pleasant evening spent than in attending 
these erstwhile popular games and amusements. There 
were also contests played between whites and Indians, 
the latter belonging to the party of the Bayous. The 
colored people were very much devoted to this enter- 
tainment, in which many of them excelled. Among 
these every old-timer will remember " lyapin," so 
named from his nirableness of foot. When the contest 
was over, they would go home singing doggerel rhymes 
of their own composition, in mockery of the losing 
party. As the prize usually consisted of a pretty silk 
flag, of fanciful design, the trophy was borne along at 
the head of a procession, as it slowly wended its way 
toward the city. The whites took a great interest in 
these field sports, encouraged them with their cheers, 
and always evinced the kindest feeling toward them. 

During the year 1809 many immigrants, numbering 
eight thousand, white as well as black, made their way 
into Ivouisiana, then known as the Territory of Orleans. 
This incident, which so much contributed to the ex- 
pansion and improvement of the city of New Orleans, 
demands some explanation, as it forms an interesting 
feature in the annals of our metropolis. 

It will be remembered that, after the general treaty of 
peace concluded at Amiens, France, under the guidanee 
of the First Consul, had sent a large military force to 
the island of St. Domingo for the purpose of subduing 
the revolted colony to the authority of the mother 
country. Of the failure of this expedition the historical 
reader is cognizant, which was owing to the ravages of 
yellow fever among the unaccliraated troops. Upon the 
retirement of the latter, the country lapsed into the 
power of the Africans, who, under Christophe, waged 



OLD I.OUISIANA DAYS. 3OI 

a war of extermination, not only against the Caucasian 
race, but against the mulattoes and griffs as well. The 
struggle continued for a considerable time, when, over- 
powered by superior numbers, the Europeans and the 
colored people were forced into exile. 

They sought and found a refuge in the island of Cuba, 
on the south side, toward the coast of Hayti. The 
point they selected was Santiago de Cuba. Being re- 
ceived with open arms, not only by the Spanish author- 
ities, but by the inhabitants of the country, they set 
about repairing their fallen fortunes and establishing 
farms and plantations, with the aid of the few faithful 
slaves who had adhered to them in their adversity. 
Matters prospered with them for a time, but, just as 
they were beginning to reap the fruits of their industry 
and thrift, a thunderbolt fell at their feet. This was the 
announcement of the invasion of Spain by Napoleon, 
the imprisonment of King Ferdinand at Bayonne and 
the rupture of friendly relations between the two coun- 
tries. Under such circumstances, these French subjects 
were ordered either to leave the island or abjure their 
nationality. They preferred the former, and for a second 
time prepared to emigrate. Packed in narrow spaces, 
in leaky and uuseaworthy ships, these victims of adverse 
destiny were shipped to New Orleans, with barely the 
necessaries of life allowed them. 

The importation into the territory of slaves from 
abroad without special permission from our government 
was an act forbidden under heavy pains and penalties 
by Congress, and as many of these expelled colonists 
were attended by a large retinue of their bondsmen, it 
became a matter of anxious consideration to determine 
whether they should be allowed to land or not. In- 
cluded in the prohibition was a large number of colored 



302 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

freedmen, who afterward became useful and houored 
citizens, as was testified by the valor they displayed 
during the battle of New Orleans, under the leadership of 
their compatriots, D'Aquin and Savary. Governor Clai- 
borne- severed the Gordian knot by informing them that 
they would be permitted to come on shore conditionally. 
He ordered their release, therefore, from the quarantine 
station and submitted the whole matter to the Federal 
Executive. 

Viewing the question as a casus necessitatis, the Pres- 
ident confirmed the course of his pro-consul in lyouis- 
iana, and his action was afterward approved by the two 
branches of Congress. The accession of this large 
number of immigrants caused a considerable stir, as 
the reader may imagine, in the ranks of our little com- 
munity, whose population within the narrow bounds of 
the city proper, in iSio, did not exceed eight thousand 
souls. These contributed in the course of time, with 
the means they had brought with them, in forwarding 
several improvements, not the least of which was the 
erection of an elegant theatre on St. Philip street. 

Another was the establishment of a coffee house, 
called the Cafe des Refiigies, in the neighborhood of the 
old market, between Maine and St. Philip. This place 
became during a number of years the recognized head- 
quarters of the Colo)is de St. Domi^igue, as they were 
called, and here it was that the famous liquor, le petit 
Gouave, was also concocted, whose invigorating quali- 
ties some of our people may yet remember. 

Adjoining it was the Hotel de la Marine, the boarding 
house and rendezvous of all the adventurous spirits of 
those times. It was in that building that dozens of 
Sicilians were butchered in 1857, on the occasion of the 
Know-nothing riots on Orleans street, when Norbert 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 303 

Trepagnier was almost cut to pieces by Italian Demo- 
crats, lu the course of a few years the establishment 
was enlarged, and in 18 15 Mr. F. Turpin became its 
proprietor, and advertised it as follows : 

" Navy Hotkl. 

" Coffeehouse, Public Baths, Table d'Hote and Board 
ing House." 

It seems that the worthy manager not only catered to 
the inner comforts of his patrons, but also contritnited 
pabulum to the amusements of the general public, as 
may be seen from this characteristic notice : 

" Rop?: Dancing. 
" On the Tight and Slack Rope. 

" Mr. Medrano has the honor of informing the inhabit- 
ants of New Orleans and its vicinity that, on Sunday 
evening next, 6th instant, he will give another exhibi- 
bition of rope dancing at the Navy Hotel. 

" He will execute the same feat as on last Sunday, of 
standing on his head, with his legs crossed, on a pole 
thirty feet high ; but instead of having one circle cJf 
fireworks at his feet, he will have three, one on his feet 
and one on each hand. 

" He will dance on the tight rope divers steps, and 
execute many extraordinary feats too tedious to men- 
tion. He will appear on the rope in man's clothes ; an 
empty bag will be given him, into which he will enter, 
when it will be tied above his head ; he will then be seen 
to come out in the character of an old woman of eighty, 
and in that dress dance to the tune of Yankee Doodle. 

" On the slack rope, with fireworks to each arm, he 
will represent a windmill, and turn with such velocity 
as to render it impossible to distinguish his form — with 



304 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

a number of feats equally surprising, that can not fail to 
please the public. " 

These exhibitions were given in the immense court- 
yard, which can still be seen at this late date, together 
with the old sleeping apartments above the galleries. 

In this quaint hostelry was frequently to be seen on 
an evening the familiar figure of the dashing General 
Humbert, who had become an intimate of " mine host," 
Turpin. Here it was that in his declining years he was 
in the habit of conversing anent those times of the French 
Republic, in the affairs of which he had taken a con- 
spicuous part, or of relating amusing incidents of the 
fight at Chalmette, or of expatiating upon the brilliant 
prospects of his friends, Morelos and Hidalgo, to achieve 
the independence of Mexico. The men, who had fought 
under I^afitte, and Dominique You and Beluche, would 
crowd around him and crane their necks with delight as 
they listened to his stories of war and d^eds of daring. 
The bronze faced veteran, with rubicund nose, was as 
vigorous as ever, and as addicted to his cup. His mind 
was filled with military schemes and expeditions. He 
was intent at that period on undertaking some grand 
military enterprise in favor or South American inde- 
pendence, the struggle of the colonies with the mother 
country having reached its climax. 

And now that I have mentioned the names of Lafitte 
and his desperate crew, I shall say a few v.^ords con- 
cerning their real character and pursuits ; that is to say, 
before they were pardoned by President Madison, inas- 
much as their subsequent career reveals another story. 
There has been such a glamor of romance blended with 
fiction thrown around them that the whole truth should 
as well be told. 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 305 

We must first bear in mind that the bulk of the mer- 
cantile class of New Orleans at the time these men en- 
gaged in their operations consisted of people of French 
extraction, either of European birth or natives of the 
French West India islands. Hence, during the long 
wars that were waged between France and Great Britain, 
those who comprised that portion of the population of 
Louisiana viewed the enemies of their race with feelings 
of undisguised llostilit3^ fiwd although the American 
government was not actually at war with the English 
nation before the year 181 2, still so deeply seated was 
the irritation caused by her haughty and arrogant bear- 
ing on the ocean that our authorities winked, as it were, 
at every naval enterprise undertaken by French mer- 
chants or ship owners against British commerce or navi- 
gation in the West Indies or in Mexican waters. In 
this state of affairs and actuated by such feelings, sundry 
naval expeditions from the coast of Ivouisiana, and more 
particularly from the harbor of Barataria were fitted 
out, some of the most influential and respectable French 
commercial firms being interested in these naval arma- 
ments. The vessels sailed under the authority of French 
letters of marque, as cruisers. 

When, in the course of time, the English had captured 
all the French West India islands, Guadeloupe, Mar- 
tinique, etc., these privateers were deprived thereby of 
frendly harbors and markets for disposing of their 
captured prizes. 

In consequence of this new condition of things, the 
corsairs, Lafitte among them, bethought themselves of 
obtaining letters of marque from the government of 
Cartagena, and of establishing intercourse with the 
merchants of New Orleans through the Barataria Canal. 
Now, it was impossible for the United States Govern- 



306 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

meut openly to encourage the introduction of goods 
and merchandise into the territory, coming, as they 
did, from an illicit source, inasmuch as, not having yet 
broken off all friendly relations with Great Britain, they 
could not sanction any contravention to our neutrality 
laws. The privateers were willing and anxious to pay 
the customs import duties for the goods thus thrown 
upon the New Orleans market, but they were precluded 
from so doing by these considerations and the instruc- 
tions emanating from Washington. 

Hence, a system of smuggling merchandise into 
the Barataria market grew up, and the practice was 
kept up so openly and undisguisedly that the very con- 
tractors of the United States army, engaged in the pur- 
chase di clothing for men and officers, were in the habit 
of repairing to the mouth of the Barataria Canal, and 
of there receiving cloth for transportation in carts and 
other vehicles to the city proper. In this manner the 
Federal officials connived at the introduction of contra- 
band goods. When, in later years, an expedition was 
undertaken against the privateers of Barataria, and 
Pierre Lafitte was made a prisoner, no proceedings 
were instituted against any of them on the charge of 
piracy. They were merely indicted for violating the 
revenue laws. 

It is not my purpose here to enter into details as to 
the salient features of the lives of the Lafittes and of 
those who were attached to their fortunes. Martin, De 
Bouchel and Gayarre, in their respective works, have 
fully accomplished this duty, that is, so far as our own 
local history is concerned. The question : Were they 
pirates ? is one that is frequently asked and unsatisfac- 
torily answered. From my researches, and they extend 
to contemporaneous publications, executive documents, 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. S^? 

official reports from local authorities, Federal navy reg- 
isters, and other authentic sources, I have been forced 
to the conclusion that they became j)irates and outlaws 
as soon as they left the jurisdiction of the United States 
and took up their abode in the province of Texas. The 
proof is incontrovertible. 

After their establishment had been broken up by 
Commodore Patterson, notwithstanding their heroic ser- 
vices at the battle of New Orleans, they were looked 
upon with distrust by the American authorities in gen- 
eral, and by Beverly Chew in paiticular, who was 
then the collector of this port. Barataria, closely 
watched, had ceased to afford them shelter and im- 
munity. They began, therefore, to cast about for new 
scenes of operations, and, having purchased through 
their financial agents, Sauvinet and Laporte, the eight 
vessels which had been captured from them and sold as 
prizes, they embarked for Port au Prince, vowing 
vengeance against the inhospitable Americans. There 
can be no doubt that from that moment they had re- 
solved upon a course of piracy. Dominique You, one 
of their leaders, was himself a Creole of St. Domingo, 
and expected to be received by the government officials 
of that island with open arms. But such anticipations 
proved futile. Their reputation had preceded them, 
and this fact, coupled with various suspicious captures, 
attributed to them, caused the Haytiens to close their 
ports. They were only allowed to revictual their ships, 
but no other indulgence could be obtained. Thus frus- 
trated, they determined to repair to Galveston and occupy 
that sandy waste. The place had just been abandoned by 
Aury, who, together with Gen. Long, were the leaders 
in the movement of Texas independence. Forty of them 
met together on board of a Mexican rebel ship, and. 



308 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

having gone through some nondescript naturalization 
ceremony, in a document which they all signed, they 
proclaimed a provisional government and appointed 
themselves its officers. They at once unfurled the black 
flag, the red flag, the Mexican flag, the Cartagena flag, 
and every other flag which ingenuit}^ could devise. It 
was not long before their crimes were heralded through- 
out the world, and provoked a special proclamation from 
the President. Armed cruisers were sent in pursuit of 
the wretches — the Lynx, the Porpoise and the Enter- 
prise, being the fleetest, were in constant service. Their 
depredations were carried on not only in the Gulf 
and Caribbean sea, but extended over the Atlantic coast 
as far as Charleston and Savannah. Their favorite 
place of operations was around the island of Cuba, 
whose numerous inlets served them as favorite lurking 
places. Not even was the coast of Ivouisiana spared, as 
the numerous forays in the bays of Calcasieu amply 
evidence. It was on the occasion of one of those expe- 
ditions that Lafitte was compelled, by order of the com- 
mander of the Enterprise, to hang a fellow. Brown, in 
Galveston, from the yard arm of one of his schooners, 
and to deliver the rest of his fellow-pirates for trial in 
New Orleans. During the whole period embraced 
wathin the years 1 817-21, Lafitte was directing these 
depredations, under his lieutenants, Dominique, 
Beluche and Gamble, surnamed Nez Coupe, the most . 
brutral and cowardly assassin of the band. A man by 
the name of Desfarges, together with eighteen other 
confederates, was caught red-handed ofl the mouth of the 
Balize, b)^ a United States cruiser, and brought to New 
Orleans to be judged. Upon hearing this, Lafitte 
hurried to the city, engaged counsel, John R. Gr3-mes, 
for his defence, and was not idle in working up a sen- 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 3^9 

timent among the rabble in favor of the imprisoned par- 
ties. A howling mob of scoundrels in our midst rallied 
around the rickety prison, adjoining the arsenal, and 
threatened to tear it down. Several companies of the 
Legion were called out by the Governor, and kept guard 
over the building during several weeks. Balked in this 
attempt, they threatened to set the whole city on fire, 
and, notwithstanding the vigilance of extra patrols, 
actually succeeded in applying the torch to the State 
armory and in destroying several buildings in the 
vicinity of the jail. Meanwhile, the pirates were 
brought to the United States District Court to be tried, 
and, notwithstanding the persistent efforts of their able 
lawyers, were adjudged guilty and sentenced to be hung. 
On hearing this result, Lafitte, armed with letters of 
recommendation from some of the most influential mer- 
chants and politicians, lost no time in taking passage 
for Washington, to see the President. Being amply 
provided with means, he cut a conspicuous feature in 
the capital for some time, and with the assistance of lyiv- 
ingston and Davezac, who held high positions at court, 
succeeded in obtaining an audience. What means he 
used to attain his end is impossible to explain at this 
late day, but the fact is that he was enabled to secure 
the liberation of all, with the exception, of Desfarges, 
who, being their captain, it was thought should be 
made an example. As to the latter, the decision of the 
President was carried out, and he was hanged nt the 
foot of St. Anne street, from the yard-arm of one of our 
cruisers. 

A particular circumstance connected with the leniency 
exhibited toward these ruffians was the fact that, several 
weeks after their liberation, many of them were again ar- 
rested on the high seas, for deeds of a like piratical 



3IO NSW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

character. Of course, the press was incensed aga'ust 
the chief executive, as we read in the papers of the 
period. 

Lafitte's prestige was gone. On his return to Galves- 
ton, of which he pretended to be the Governor under 
the authority of the Mexican Congress, he was quietly 
given to understand by the captain of the United States 
armed schooner Enterprise, that he would have to 
decamp, if he wished to avoid a bombardment. This 
he finally consented to do, after having vainly at- 
tempted to seduce the officer from his line of duty by a 
profuse hospitalit5^ The establishment was broken up, 
some eight hundred in number. The common property 
was divided into shares, and the crew disbanded. 
This was in 1821. Some followed L,afitte into the 
waters of Yucatan ; others, like Beluche, who rose to 
the rank of Commodore in the Bolivian navy, went with 
him to Cartagena ; others, like Gamble, doomed to as- 
sassination at the hands of his own men, returned to 
Barataria, expecting something to turn up, while the 
balance, resolved to lead new lives with Dominique 
You in New Orleans, went back to their old homes, and 
finally died in our midst, converted into useful citizens. 

One of the most ancient buildings of New Orleans was 
the bakery of Cadet, at the corner of St. Peter and 
Royal, who was succeeded by Joseph Vincent, and is at 
present occupied by Manessier as a confectionery store. 
It was then a one-story structure, with a Spanish tile 
roof. Cadet used to be Pere Antoine's purveyor of 
bread for the poor, and the last receipted account — which 
was found among the latter's effects after his death — ag- 
gregated a little over thirteen hundred dollars. This 
single item furnishes, more than any panegyric which 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 3 II 

my pen can bestow, a sample of the extent and measure 
of the holy man's benevolence. Not very many years 
ago, the outlandish appearance of the upper part of the 
rear building would attract the eye of the stranger. It 
was a remnant of the abandoned old bakery, and with 
its quaint old chimney was used as a sort of mill for 
grinding coarse flour to a finer grade. 

In the year 1794 another fire broke out in the city, 
which, though not quite as disastrous as that which 
preceded it six years before, was a source of great afflic- 
tion and misery to the humble classes. According to 
the statements of eye-witnesses, we know that several 
thousands were left homeless and became dependents 
upon public charity. That year signalized several im- 
portant events in our history, among which may be 
mentioned the completion of our Cathedral Church, 
the inauguration of our sugar industry and, lastly, 
the construction of the Carondelet Canal. The names 
of Bore, Baron Carondelet and Almonester are 
the names of that period. To the latter especially 
is the honor of public liberality attached. On each 
side of the "Place d'Armes " were rows of stores 
and dwelling houses. They were constructed dur- 
ing the short period of O'Reilly's administration. 
They were in the style known as briquetSs entre 
poteaux, i. <?. , partly of bricks, between posts. The 
roofs were covered with tiles, baked or burned in kilns 
of domestic manufacture, before the introduction of 
flat tiles from Nantes and Havre. They were, indeed, 
relics of the earliest improvements of the Louisiana 
colony. I may say incidentally that the character of 
some of our roofs is an unerring indication of their age 
or of the regime under which they were constructed. 



312 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

The most ancient or primitive were covered with cypress 
shingles. Again, in order of time, followed the hollow 
red brick tile, after which again, for a long number of 
years, the French flat tile came into vogue. It is only 
within a comparatively short space that slate coverings 
have been generally adopted. One of the most ancient 
brick buildings in that quarter of the town stands at 
the corner of St. Peter and Chartres, opposite the old 
City Hall, or former Cabildo. It is erroneously supposed 
that this quaint structure, so decidedly Moorish in its 
design and style of architecture, was formerly the resi- 
dence of our Spanish Governors, and that it was within 
its walls the festival was given by O'Reilly, during whicli 
the unfortunate I^afreniere and his co-conspirators were 
arrested, to be from thence transferred to their gloomy 
dungeons. The palace, which these dignitaries then 
inhabited, fronted the river, and was situated on Levee 
street, between Toulouse and St. Louis. The Governor's 
official residence was at the corner of Toulouse, further 
down the street, and had been constructed during the 
French domination. It is more than probable that 
the house about which I am now writing was used for 
the accomodation of the officers connected with the 
Cabildo. Early in the present century it was a place of 
public entertainment for travelers, as was also the 
" Tremoulet House," opposite the river landing, at the 
corner of Old Levee and St. Peter, afterward Baron 
Pontalba's residence. This old moresque edifice, at the 
time that General Jackson reached the city in 1814, to 
take charge of its defence, was a restaurant and lodging 
house combined, and its proprietor received none but 
people of condition and quality. He was a jolly old 
Frenchman, and a Vatel in the culinary line. Its name 
was unique: Le veaii qui tete, the "Sucking Calf." 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 313 

Oue who used to patronize this establishment in his 
younger days once told me that its customers were the 
cream of our bourgeoisie. There was a continual ebb 
and flow of guests in the upper salons, where visitors 
were wont to take their meals upon small, neatly covered 
tables, attended by polite waiters. These rooms were 
appropriated for dinners h la carte exclusively. There 
was, besides, a table d' hole, where repasts were served 
at fixed hours. To a stranger no fitter place could be 
found, if he was desirous of initiating himself into New 
Orleans French society, into that part of it, at least, 
which constituted the moving, active, mercantile portion, 
as busy as bees, traveling up and down the river coast 
from what were called its posts. These were settle- 
ments, such as the post of Opelousas or the post of 
Natchitoches, which were current expressions, handed 
down from the times of the colonial regime, to de- 
note the various trading and military points along the 
margin of the Mississippi. 

In those days, it was not the North American advent- 
urers that were the pioneers in the commercial estab- 
lishments then extending throughout our State. Trad- 
ing was the special branch of French immigrants. These 
were indefatigable in organizing mercantile agencies 
over the rural sections of lower Louisiana, even in the 
nooks and recesses of inland bayous, and of far away 
stretching piney wood ridges. In later years, when 
the appliances of steam had opened new avenues to 
more active operations in the inland water courses and 
tributary streams of our great river, North American 
merchants and traders began to establish branches 
throughout the country. The natives of the soil were 
not inclined to follow commercial pursuits. Agriculture 



314 NEW orle;ans as it was. 

was their sole occupation. In this respect, the son 
followed the example of his father, and of his ancestors. 
The earth furnished him with comfort, wealth and even 
luxury. Hence foreigners, les noiiveaux deballes, as 
they were called, enjoyed an undisputed monopoly. 
Navigation and trade with the parishes and posts of the 
interior were carried on mostly in what were then 
known as coasting boats. But when more distant 
regions were to be reached, as, for instance, the posts oi 
Natchitoches, or of Opelousas, or of Ouachita, barges, 
which had been constructed on the upper Mississippi, 
the Wabash, the Ohio or Illinois rivers, and brought tc 
the city with their Canadian crews, were the convey- ' 
ances most usually employed. These flat-bottomed boats, 
very long and nari'ow, were splendidly adapted to trav- 
eling in sinuous, crooked bayous, such as those that 
constituted the Red river branches, and the numerous 
and intricate water courses which lead, in the season oi 
high floods, from the Mississippi to the Atchafalaya, 
Opelousas and Attakapas settlements. These barges or 
long keel boats were partly covered with raw ox hides, 
wound or bent in the form of a tunnel over a wooden 
framework, so as to protect the freight or cargo from 
sun and rain, and to shelter passengers and crews while 
taking their meals or indulging in rest. This mode ol 
locomotion was romantic, and not devoid of a certain 
charm. It was the primitive conveyance in which the 
ascent or descent of the river was accomplished from 
New Orleans as high as Pittsburg. These voyages 
would consume generally forty or fifty days, when un- 
dertaken with the current, and at the stages of low 
water the danger from snags, stumps and sawyers was 
frequently imminent. Before the use of steam power, 
the crossing of the Mississippi from point to point 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 315 

against the current was the most diflScult part of naviga- 
tion, and this was done by means of a large square 
rigged sail. When a point had to be doubled, the crew 
were put on shore, and a long cordclle, or rope, was 
slung around the breast of every man, who was made to 
pull the craft, like a beast of burden, while a couple of 
hands on board the vessel, armed with long poles ; 
would keep it at a convenient distance from the shore, 
and aid its course by occasional pushes or pulls. In the 
evening the crew, being completely worn out, as the 
reader may conjecture, the boat was made fast to the 
river bank, and a hot supper would be prepared ashore, 
where the men would stretch themselves out on the cool 
ground or furze, by the side of a blazing fire, whose 
smoke would drive away the usual swarms of buzzing 
mosquitoes. Such were, in part, the hardships of our 
early navigation, endured by the brawny Canadian voya- 
geurs. 

From this subject let me now digress to another. 
When the Spanish Governor, Estevan Miro, in 1786, 
took command of the province of Louisiana, he pub- 
lished, in accordance with the practice pursued by his 
predecessors, a sort of manifesto or message, called un 
Bando de buen Gobierno, in other words, rules for the 
people. In this document various observances were 
enjoined. Among others, it was declared that people 
would be punished with the greatest severity who were 
found living outside of the lawful relations of the matri- 
monial state, and that persons of color, particularly 
women, would be vigorously prosecuted should they 
not abandon their lax and idle mode of living. Nay, 
this Governor, whose administration proved him to have 
been a mild and tolerant official , went so far in his edict 



3l6 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

as to forbid this class of females to wear any jewels or 
ornaments of value, or to adorn their hair with feathers ; 
se coiffer de pimnes. In lieu thereof, he ordered the use 
of a handkerchief or bandana. The custom ot wearing 
this sort of headgear was almost universal among the 
industrial classes in olden times. It was called the 

tig7l01l. 

After the arrival of Carondelet as Governor of Louis- 
iana, and during that part of his administration which 
covered the period from 1792 to 1796, the city of New 
Orleans was strongly entrenched within a line of fortifi- 
cations, and enclosed with ramparts, deep ditches and 
picket revetments. These protections had been thrown 
up against the possible incursions of hostile Indians 
and servile insurrections in adjoining parishes. There 
were no issues from the little town except through 
three main gates — the Tchoupitoulas, the Bayou Road 
and the c/iemin public, the latter skirting the river front 
from the actual location of the United States Mint, down- 
ward. At or near each one of these gates sentries were 
stationed night and day, keeping ward and vigil over 
the safety of the people. After the American govern- 
ment took possession of the country, these works were 
allowed to crumble into decay, and I find in my 
researches into the citj^'s archives that, as early as in 
1805 and 1806, under the administrations of Mayors 
James Pitot, and John Watkins, the revetments were 
being used in the filling up of the trenches, which had 
become dangerous to public health. As late as 1816 
there were left few traces of their existence, with the 
exception of a little coquettish looking fort, called " St. 
Charles," at the foot of Esplanade stieet. It was dis- 
mantled some time in the year 182 1, and the ground 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 317 

ceded temporarily to the corporation. As to the old 
bastions once standing at the four corners of the old 
carre, they were completely razed to the ground. The 
gate leading to the Bayou Road overlooked a drawbridge 
which spanned a wide and deep ditch at that point. In 
my boyhood days the place was still called la porte du 
bayoti. Under the masterly and energetic hand of 
James Pitot, our first elected Mayor, the spirit of enter- 
prise developed itself to a surprising degree in the first 
decade of the present century. Among other beneficial 
results was the encouragement given to immigration, 
whose tide began to flow in with unabated rapidity. 

In 181 2 was erected, immediately on the outskirts of 
the city proper, the building known as the "Orleans 
College," out of which nursery of education sprang into 
the world a number of Louisianians that have been 
justly esteemed for their intellectual attainments. This 
institution faced St. Claude street, which had been 
recently laid down upon the plan of the contemplated 
extension of the city as a thoroughfare behind Rampart 
street. The object of the authorities in opening this 
new street was to group around it a certain number of 
residences, or, in other words, the colonization of a new 
faubourg. But the project proved futile, and for a 
number of years the college continued in its isolated 
position ; for, being surrounded by an almost unfathom- 
able morass, the people were loath to locate their 
domiciles in this noisome neighborhood. How many 
cai loads of " cotton seed " it took to fill up this dismal 
swamp, it would be difficult to say. In the course of 
time, as terra firma was steadily advancing, improve- 
meats were pushed beyond the structure. It then 
became necessary to demolish a part of the college 
building in order to open Ursulines street through St. 



3l8 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Claude. For this reason one may see the two extremi- 
ties or wings of that ancient building (the college), 
each resting on the edges of the two streets above men- 
tioned. 

On leaving the city proper from Fort St. Charles, 
at the foot of Esplanade street, and following the 
main road along the Mississippi river, with a view 
of visiting the battle fields of 1 8 14- 15, one would me^t 
two lines of defence before reaching the spot. The first 
line ran along to the woods on the ground occupied by 
the late Touro's unfinished almshouse. There a sort of 
tete de poJit had been thrown up to protect the public 
road. A ditch or canal, of considerable depth and 
extent, with a low earthen breastwork on its front, was 
still to be seen in 1816. The second defensive line, about 
one mile distant from the former, had been constructed 
in the immediate neighborhood of the spot where the 
United States Barracks stand to-day. There was a line 
of breastworks connected with bastions, one of which 
formed also a tHe de pont, to cover the public road. 
That locality, for long years thereafter, was converted 
into an open-air public garden, on the river front, 
enclosed with a beautiful orange hedge, and from which 
Due could enjoy delightful breezes as well as a mag- 
nificent view of the stream as far as the eye could 
reach. All along this route, the main road for pedes- 
trians was on the summit of the levee. It was dotted 
with a continuous row of fine country houses. The 
slope of the lands from the bank of the river toward the 
swamps was very gradual ; and immediately behind the 
cultivated fields, mostly covered with stalks of Indian 
corn, were the open pasture grounds in which numer- 
ous herds of neat cattle, sheep and goats were seen 
browsing. 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 319 

From this second fortified or rallying point and pro- 
ceeding two miles lower, the visitor would reach the 
battle scene and the famous entrenchments, which, in 
1815, the British on the 8th of January unsuccessfully- 
attempted to storm. Here in 18 16 part of the works 
was already dismantled. That portion which had formed 
the bastion or small fortalice by the edge of the river 
was barely recognizable. The breastworks of the line, 
the/osses, the banquette, the glacis, were still in a good 
state of preservation. Only a few months had elapsed 
since the chivalry of Kngland had there met with such 
signal defeat, and already the hand of man had been 
engaged in converting those appliances of misery, war 
and desolation into fields of peace, plenty and pros- 
perity. And yet a few years later they were all swept 
away. 

The old Barracks constructed by the French were com- 
pleted in the year 1758. These buildings, fronting the river 
from the rear of the Ursulines Convent to Barracks street, 
were in a good state of preservation when taken possession 
of by the American government. Their record is historical. 
Here had been stationed in regular succession the French 
regiments of the line, until in 1763 L,ouisiana was ceded 
to the Spanish monarchy. Then came their occupation 
in 1769 by the troops of the cruel O'Reilly and his suc- 
cessors ; then their transfer in 1800 to Laussat, the Pre- 
fect, and three years thereafter their delivery to Com- 
missioner Wilkinson. The Barracks proper formed a 
single building, nearly a square and a half in length, 
two stories high, built of brick, plastered with a coating 
of lime, and having on its front as well as in its rear a 
wide gallery supported by a row of strong, square pil- 
lars, also constructed with the same material, i. e., bricks 



320 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

plastered with cement made of mussel shell lime. A 
remnant of these most ancient military quarters, at the 
intersection of Chartres and Barracks streets, is still 
one of the salient features of the neighborhood, having 
first been converted into a private dwelling house, the 
erstwhile family residence of the Charbonnet family, 
afterward the domicile of a Catholic seminary, and 
lately the scene of a terrible Sicilian vendetta. With 
the exception of this building, the Barracks were en- 
tirely demolished to make room for modern stores and 
houses. Between the high walls of masonry enclosing 
the area of the structures and the levee or river bank 
there was an open plaza, or parade ground upon which 
the garrison troops were wont to drill whenever the 
usual review and inspection within the enclosure were 
omitted. This open space constitutes now the site of 
the two squares of buildings traversed by Gallatin 
street, the most noted cesspool of immorality, assassina- 
tion and crime ever known in New Orleans in ante- 
bellum times. It was upon that spot and not in the 
Place d'Armes, as is popularly believed and authorita- 
tively asserted by several writers, that Lafreniere and 
his associates in martyrdom were publicly shot to death 
by Spanish soldiers, in the presence of the cruel and 
bloody O'Reilly. It was, also, within the walls of 
those gloomy barracks that the judicial farce, called a 
trial, was enacted, and the warrant for their execution 
probably sealed and signed by the tyrant. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 



THE INDIGO CULTURE — REMINISCENCES OF FAUBOURG 
ST. MARY — JEAN GRAVIER — THE DISMAL SWAMP — LE 
QUARTIER DES DAMNES — THE MACARTY CREVASSE — 
THE SHELL ROAD — MICHOUD's HUNTING GROUND — 
SKETCH OP EARLY SETTLEMENTS — THE BAYOU ST. JOHN 
— LA TERRE AUX LEPREUX — 'THE LEVEE FRONT — FAU- 
BOURG LIVAUDAIS, NOW THE FOURTH DISTRICT ^REMI- 
NISCENCES OF DANIEL CLARK — ALEXANDER MILNE'S 
OLD CASTLE. 



During the administrations of Governors Galvez and 
Carondelet, the tract of land which became thereafter 
known as the Fa^iboiir^ Ste. Marie consisted of a large 
plantation owned by Jean Gravier, who acquired his 
title from the government sales that took place after the 
expulsion of the Jesuit fathers from the colony. The 
latter had purchased the same by notarial act, in Paris, 
from Bienville himself, and it is evident that the confis- 
cation of their property was an act of arbitrary spoliation. 
This immense estate, extending on its front from Canal 
to Delord streets, had been for a number of years devoted 
to the culture of the sugar cane and of indigo. This last 
branch of industry was then being extensively carried on 
along the lower coast of the Mississippi delta, in the 
321 



322 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

Red river parishes, and upon the boundless prairies of 
southwest lyouisiaua, where this tropical plant may still 
be seen growing in wild luxuriance. Its frequent de- 
struction by swarms of locusts and parasitic insects was 
the main cause why this former staple product of our 
State was made to yield to the supremacy of sugar, 
which, besides being a surer crop, was also far more re- 
munerative. But one of the reasons which greatly con- 
tributed to this result, eight years before the cession ol ; 
the territory, was the extremely unwholesome condition i 
of the process for its fabrication and the consequent . 
prevalence of disease among the slaves at certain seasons 
of the year. The great mortality which ensued was at- 
tributed to the peculiar exhalations that poisoned the 
atmosphere during the whole period of fermentation. 
This was a great drawback, as may naturally be sup- 
posed, and constituted an important factor in the con- 
sideration of profits. The quality of the lyouisiana 
indigo was rated in the commercial marts of the world 
as next to that of Guatemala, which was estimated as 
superior to that of India. 

In the rear of the Faubourg St. Mary, in close prox- 
imity to the site of the once well known Freret cotton 
presses, on Poydras street, lived, in 1816, the only sur- 
viving brother of the elder Gravier, one of the original 
purchasers of the plantation, which, a little before the 
year 1803, was laid out, as per plans, into a suburb. 
Called by his neighbors ' ' Doctor ' ' Gravier, because he 
attended the sick without remuneration, and effected 
cures by means of simples and Indian herbs, this singu- 
lar old man led a hermit's life, forsaken by the world, in 
an old shanty surrounded by weeping willows, amid the 
ghastly scenery of a Louisiana swamp. To the casual 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. . 323 

observer he always looked like one absorbed in the solu- 
tion of some moral problem, or in the sorrows of a bitter 
disappointment. 

' No ordinary courage was required to venture alone 
within the precincts of that forbidding and desolate 
-spot. Encircled, as it then was, by low cemeteries, 
;. along the edges of the fathomless morass, the dismal 
willows could be heard uttering plaintive sounds with 
every gust of wind, as it rushed through closely inter- 
locked cypress thickets. There were still to be seen 
fragments of old indigo vats and other vestiges of that 
industry. No wonder, then, that this remote part of the 
town was invested with the glamour of romance. With 
many it was associated with scenes of foul deeds and 
rnidnight murders. Some would assert that hunters 
had stumbled by accident upon overturned trees, within 
whose cavities human skeletons had been discovered. 
Others pretended that fire-flies or ignes fatui were to be 
seen in the warm summer nights flitting or hovering 
over the graves of departed spirits, while others, still 
more timorous and superstitious, shuddered with 
affright at the portentous hootings of owls in the small 
hours of the morning. 

Now, all these gloomy forebodings of ignorant people 
had their origin, of course, in the very nature of the 
locality. Bats and other night birds were to be ex- 
pected in such surroundings. As io feux follets, they 
were indigenous to swamps inaccessible to the tread of 
man, and impregnated with a petroleum-like substance 
oozing out of decayed stumps. The marsh was alive 
with slimy, dangerous and shining reptiles of every 
species. The croaking of bull-frogs, from the avuncular 
wararroyi to the diminutive and adolescent grenouille 
was incessant, and, to complete the description of this 



324 NEW ORI.EANS AS IT WAS. 

scene of misery and martyrdom, the swarming and buz- 
zing of insects and the shrill cries of sea gulls, joining 
in a demon's chorus, made a residence in such a waste 
a matter of utter impossibility. 

From the foregoing statement the reader will easily 
infer how it was that this portion of the outskirts 
of the Faubourg St. Mary was looked upon by the com- 
munity as unhallbwed ground — a Golgotha, where the 
carcasses of men and animals had been heaped together, 
as in a charnel house. For a long time it was studiously 
shunned for residential purposes by many decent families; 
but, in the course of years, the stories of buried treas- 
ures by pirates, of midnight assemblies of desperadoes 
and other legends of a similar character were forgotten 
or scouted at, and, at the present day, few of the old 
survivors of that period would remember them, were not 
their memories occasionally jogged. Although the old 
willow trees have disappeared from our sight, still is 
their recollection preserved by the name of the street 
which intersects their former location. The Workhouse 
and the several cotton presses established at the crossing 
of Claiborne and Poydras streets stand now in the very 
midst of the quarter once known as le quartier des 
datnnes. I must not omit to mention, in connection 
with this subject, that a canal, named after Poydras, 
ran through this tract of land — a cesspool of pestilen- 
tial effluvia and a menace to the salubrity of the cor- 
poration. 

It was in the spring of the year 181 6 that a crevasse 
occurred at the upper end of Macarty's plantation (now 
the town of Carrollton or rather the Seventh Municipal 
District of New Orleans) which inundated the rear 
portions of the plantations which extended from that 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 325 

point to the city. The waters, surcharged with the calcar- 
eous and slimy particles peculiar to the Mississippi river, 
were spread over the whole space covered by our swamps 
and reached as far as the corner of Canal and Bourbon. 
In the city proper it appeared all along Dauphine street, 
where it apparently found its level. By this casualty 
all the low and depressed parts of our city environs 
were marked by a line which appeared upon the walls 
and fences, after the subsidence of the overflow and the 
retiring of the element into the lake and adjacent 
bayous. This incident provided a valuable and accurate 
topographical survey. Everywhere was this water 
mark distinctly visible. Thus the fact was ascertained 
that the greatest depression was to be found all along 
Canal street, which has since required an incredible 
amount of "filling" to bring up to a level with the 
other parts of the town. The Bayou Road, on the con- 
trary, in the neighborhood of Claiborne avenue, as well 
as several other isolated tracts, were ascertained to be 
the most elevated, having escaped the almost universal 
submersion. 

The beautiful shell road which leads from the New 
Basin to the lake, and which in ante-bellum times was 
the proper drive for our sporting gentry, was opened 
through the almost impenetrable swamp during the 
years 1830-32, after the herculean task of hewing out the 
new canal had been completed. As the lower part of 
the city already enjoyed the old Carondelet, the idea of 
opening another outlet to the lake originated with an 
association of enterprising citizens, foremost among 
whom may be cited, Beverly Chew, an ex-collector of 
customs; ex-Senator Burthe, Samuel Jarvis Peters, the 
great city financier ; Hodge, of the Bulletin^ and several 



326 NEW ORLEA.NS AS IT WAS. 

Other equally spirited notables. Deeming that their 
section would be wonderfully benefited by direct inter- 
course with the people of Bay St. L,ouis, Mobile and 
Pensacola, they determined to organize themselves into 
a banking corporation, styled the New Canal Banking 
Association, which, having been incorporated by the 
IvCgislature, soon went into operation. 

On the topographical chart of Latourette the reader 
will find the boundaries of the more than princely pos- 
sessions of Antoine Michoud, erstwhile Sardinian con- 
sul. These stretched from Lake Pontchartrain to the 
edge of L,ake Borgne, and extended several miles on 
both banks of Bayou Gentilly or Sauvage to within a 
short distance from Fort Pike, on the Chef Menteur. A 
Nimrod in his younger days, Michoud entertained a 
particular predilection for this valuable tract, on account 
of the great quantity and variety of game with which 
it was always stocked. At the opening of every hunt- 
ing season he would never fail, through the papers, to 
issue warning notices to trespassers, as he claimed the 
ownership of the countless flocks of wild geese and 
ducks that were wont to settle, during the winter months, 
in the immense lagoons and canebrakes which covered 
his land. 

Now, as no quantity of fences could possibly enclose 
such a vast extent of open meadows, forests and marshes, 
it may well be imagined that these fulminations on paper 
were disregarded and ridiculed. Notwithstanding his 
rage and inane threats, the amateur sportsmen of the city 
and neighborhood continued their encroachments upon 
his preserves, a practice which obtains even at the present 
day, for this locality has always been noted for its excel- 
lent hunting grounds. 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 327 

When Bienville, in the early part of 1700, first ex- 
plored the nooks, recesses and meanderings of the Bayou 
St. John, in the primitive pirogues of the friendly Cola- 
pissas, nothing interesting met his view save a few low, 
thatched, rough huts peering through the midst of a 
dense, tangled forest, surrounded on every side bj^ seem- 
ingly impenetrable morasses, and gloomy, dismal cy- 
press marshes. This sluggish sheet of water was the 
natural drain or outlet of a great swamp which formed 
the background of the vast territory that extended from 
the river bank to the lake. There were neither pathways 
nor roads leading through the gloomy wilderness, as the 
few Indians who lived in these regions were accustomed to 
travel from place to place, whether engaged in the chase 
or fishing, in light and swift canoes. From this general 
description we must, however, except some more favored 
localities ; those, for instance, bordering Bayou Metairie, 
and Bayou Sauvage, upon which bountiful nature had 
scattered centenary trees, such as the ash and the live oak, 
and a profusion of valuable shrubs and esculents. These 
choice and fertile spots had been formed by slow degrees 
from the alluvial deposits of the Mississippi, when, during 
its yearly overflows, it spread over the wide expanse of 
the adjacent lowlands. Hence it is we find that one 
of the first back settlements of the city was established 
upon these ridges, and that another had been located in 
that part which stands midway between the river front 
and the lake, on the Bayou St. John. The tourist who 
will take the street car will soon reach this interesting 
locality, now enlivened by beautiful villas and a spacious 
park. Across the draw or spring bridge that spans the 
bayou near that point he will see a historic spot, once 
known as the "Magnolia Garden," in front of which 
Bienville first set foot ashore. In those days it was the 



328 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

site of a camping ground consisting of a few Indian 
huts, whence a foot-path or trail led by a cut-off to the 
settlements of the Tchoupitoulas, another small Indian 
tribe, who lived in cabins huddled together along the 
river bank below the present town of CarroUton. 

At the period when these rural establishments were 
being formed, in the last century, the Jesuit Fathers, with 
the energy and rare intelligence characteristic of their 
order, selected large tracts upon the high lands facing the 
Bayous Sauvage and Gentilly for agricultural purposes. 
Some of the buildings constructed on their wide domains 
withstood the tooth of time for more than a hundred years, 
as a few of them were still to be seen not very many 
years ago. These stood in the vicinity of the point 
where the ly. & N. railroad crosses the Gentilly as it 
continues to follow the meanderings of the bayou of 
that name to its final junction with the pretty stream 
known as the Chef Meyiteur. 

This water course, which alternatively flows from I^ake 
Ponchartrain into I^ake Borgne, z.n^vicevers&, according 
to the stand of the waters in these two lakes, and ac- 
cording also to the prevailing winds or to the ebb and flow 
of the tide, is for this reason called a rigolet, which sig- 
nifies in the nautical parlance of that period a stream 
flowing both ways. Old people used to say that the In- 
dians gave it the name of " Big Liar," because it talked 
deceivingly. Be this as it may, this stream is the most 
beautiful one in the vicinity of New Orleans. The water 
is as pellucid as crystal, and its borders are decorated 
with a gorgeous forest vegetation which has ever at- 
tracted the admiration of the sportsman and naturalist. 

As I have already stated, a few Indian huts existed 
along the Bayou St. John. There may have been a few 
more on Bayou Sauvage, for, in the immediate vicinity 



OLD I^OUISIANA DAYS. 329 

of Daniel Clark's residence, at the intersection of the 
Bayou and Gentilly roads, an Indian graveyard was 
once to be seen. It was a small tract of very elevated 
ground. But the number of the aborigines around 
the city mvist have been very insignificant, indeed, 
for the reason that nowhere have they left any monu- 
ments of their existence. In fact, they seem to have 
suddenly disappeared from their primitive abodes, be- 
fore the advance of the white man ; nobody knows how 
or where. 

While this was the case with the small tribes of the 
Collapissas and Tchoupitoulas, there were annual visits 
of Choctaws and Natchez from over the lake and above 
the river, who were in the habit of repairing hither on 
New Year's Day to exchange compliments with the 
Governor and city authorities, and especially to receive 
the customary presents, which in ancien^. times ]iad been 
stipulated by treaty. When by the lapse of lime and 
the effect of prescription these resources were not forth- 
coming, the Indians would resort to padfj^ann' shooting. 
The sport consisted in carrying about a wooden rooster 
decked with ribbons for target practice, around which 
they would dance and shout, begging from house to 
house a few picayunes for the ' ' powder and shot ' ' 
necessary to the warriors and squaws. That meant 
"whisky and rations." They were wont to keep up 
these carousals for several days in the outskirts or 
suburbs of the town. The same performances accom- 
panied their Indian weddings and other ceremonies, from 
which they reaped rich harvests, as their exhibitions 
naturally attracted throngs of sojourners and sightseers. 

The space of dry land upon which the city of New 
Orleans was originally built was extremely limited, and 



330 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

this may be better illustrated from the fact that the 
authorities were compelled to dig a draining canal 
through the middle of Bourbon street, on the very spot 
where now stands the French Opera House. It is not gen- 
erally known that the location of a site for a city upon 
the banks of the Mississippi was for a considerable time 
a subject of serious contention between Bienville and 
his engineer. They were both agreed upon the neces- 
sity of selecting a point easy of access to, and of com- 
munication with, their early settlements and posts at 
Biloxi and in the Mississippi Sound and Gulf. This 
was an advantage which New Orleans offered. By 
means of the Bayou St. John the opening to Lake 
Pontchartrain was always convenient, and a con- 
stant intercourse with the colonies planted across the 
lake was available. But New Orleans was low, marshy, 
unhealthy and subject to periodical inundations. Here 
was the drawback. To remedy this evil, Manchac was 
suggested. The proposed site was high, comparatively 
salubrious,*and offered, through the bayou of that name, 
since called the Iberville river, an outlet to the Gulf 
by the way of Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain. 
Bienville meditated long upon the availability of this 
location, and finally rejected the suggestion. The route 
was long, circuitous and dangerous. Besides it would 
have removed him at too great a distance from the 
mouth of the river, which it was his obvious policy to 
maintain, defend and secure at all hazards. 

His will prevailed over all opposition, and the carrS de 
la ville was laid out. It was a cesspool. The streets, few 
in number, had to be filled with the sand taken from the 
battures in front, and a sort of breastwork or dike 
was thrown up along the margin of the river to stem 
the force of the current. Reverting to the historical 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS, 331 

fact that our drainage system began from Bourbon 
street toward the rear, is it not possible, as some 
have asserted, that the original founders intended to 
have intersected the cit}- with navigable canals, fed 
by the great river flowing at our doors? This supposi- 
tion is not totally groundless, as we know of cities in 
tropical climates that are actually cut up by such appli- 
ances, and suffer no inconvenience either to health or 
mercantile pursuits. 

So slimy was the character of the soil in and around 
New Orleans that Bienville, in his peregrinations around 
the surrounding country, if he did not ascend one of 
the branches of the Bayou St. John to the vicinity of 
Rampart street, to which its several arteries generally 
converged (immediately behind Congo Square), Bien- 
ville, I say, must have taken the Indian trail from the 
Magnolia Garden station, through the dense forest ex- 
tending along the ridge, and emerged into the Bayou 
Road, on both sides of which were planted the first fruit 
gardens and vegetable patches. This was the only ridge 
of high ground by which the Indians usually reached 
the river bank. 

I believe that the project of introducing, by a system 
of sluices and canals, the Mississippi river waters into 
our city, was seriously contemplated, and this fact is 
best proved by the prospectus of the company, which 
was incorporated under the name of the Navigation 
Company, one of whose achievements was to have con- 
ducted through Broad street the waters of the river into 
the basin of Canal Carondelet. But this scheme was 
never carried out, owing both to financial depression 
and the opposition of speculators or interested parties. 

There could be no doubt about its feasibility. 
Witness the old Marigny canal, of which I have made 



332 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

mention, which opened a direct communication with the 
sea. The vestiges and ruins of this gigantic undertak- 
ing were visible as far back as 1816 at the lower end of 
the city, and occupied precisely the present location of 
the Pontchartrain railroad track. At the spot where 
now stands the company's ticket office, on Elysian 
Fields and Victory, were to be seen the massive walls, 
built of solid masonry, which had been used as supports 
to the sluice gates or locks that admitted the waters 
of the river. This canal, turning at an angle or elbow, 
at a short distance from where the first mile-stone is 
standing now, conveyed its waters across the Gen- 
tilly road toward the Bayou St. John. At present, as I 
have already said, the railroad track runs along a sec- 
tion of the former Marigny canal, which started from the 
river's edge. There is hardly a remnant left of it now, 
except a small draining ditch, near Claiborne street. 
The branch, which proceeds toward the Bayou St. John 
through the woods and marshes, has been improved by 
the Draining Company, and now forms, I think, a part 
of that system. 

In the first decades of this century, the briny water 
resort during the summer months was located near the 
mouth of the Bayou St. John. There, and not over the 
lake nor on the gulf coast, would the ilite of New 
Orleans society spend their leisure hours. They took 
baths in the then clear and limpid waters of the bayou., 
which was constantly refreshed and replenished by the 
influx of the lake's swelling tide. There also were 
many sailing and rowing boats for amateurs, who took 
pleasure in excursions to the Fort. The grounds for 
deep-sea swimming were around the lighthouse. It was 
only later, some time in the 40s, that a smooth and 
beautiful shell road was laid out, thus enabling thou- 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 333 

sands to reach in buggies the small fishermen's village 
at the entrance of the bayou, once noted by old gourmets 
for its restaurants and hostelries. 

A small tract of high ground, covered with latanier or 
wild palm — a certain indication, by the way, that the 
soil is not subject to annual immersions — was to be 
found between the Canal Carondelet and the Bayou 
Road Ridge. That portion of it which now lies almost 
contiguous to Galvez street was denominated ' ' la terre 
aux lepreiix'^ — Leper's I/and — because, under the 
administration of Galvez, this fell and malignant dis- 
ease had raged with violence. To stamp it out, or 
rather to arrest its further progress, the patients had 
been removed to this distant and solitary waste, and 
were secluded from all communication with the outer 
world. They were regularly supplied with provisions 
and water, but no one was permitted, under the penalty 
of perpetual seclusion, to approach any of these out- 
casts. 

Under the administration of Baron Carondelet, in 
1794, the scheme of uniting New Orleans by means of 
a navigable canal with the Bayou St. John was first 
conceived and partially carried out. The drainage 
canal, which had been extended from Bourbon street, 
had gradually been enlarged and prolonged through 
the cypress forest, connecting with one of the main 
arteries of the bayou. In the course of time, the re- 
quirements of trade demanded that it should be 
widened and deepened so as to admit sailing vessels of 
greater tonnage, capable of undertaking voyages to 
the West Indies. 

Thus it was that, after the subsidence of the flood 
from the crevasse at Macarty's Point, in 1816, a number 
of African slaves were put to work in pumping out the 



334 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

water from one compartment into the other. The whole 
length of the canal had to be divided and subdivided, 
before it could be separated into sections bj^ piles and 
strong dams. Never was a severer task or more astonish- 
ing work ever imposed. Although the herciilean labor 
of perforating the New Canal, which had been performed 
by Irishmen, was attended by great sickness and 
an incredible sacrifice of life, nothing of the kind oc- 
curred in the construction of the works done by slave 
hands. There was no loss of life or health among 
them. On the contrarj^ the black people, all of whom 
were imported Africans, grew quite stout and lusty. 
They spoke nothing but their native language (Congo), 
and seemed to know, as if by instinct, the utility 
of the enterprise. Never was work performed with 
more cheerfulness and alacrity, for there were used no 
drivers, or whips, but plenty of rations, and occasionally 
a pull at the tafia jug. K filet, that is to saj^ a dram of 
strong liquor, was what the slaves cared for above 
all things. In all other respects they were very sober. 
Their favorite beverage was a species of small beer, made 
of Indian corn. In the extreme heat of the summer 
solstice, with only their cotton trousers on, bared breasts 
and shoulders, protected from the sun by large straw 
hats or tignons merely, they would delve into the midst 
of our murky swamps, hewing out with pickaxes enor- 
mous stumps, and spading and throwing up immense 
clods of dirt without any apparent effort. 

They had no machinery, no steam contrivance to 
assist them in these arduous labors. Even the driving 
of the piles had to be done by hand. The carpenters 
and educated mechanics were whites and mulattoes, 
and thus was this huge undertaking carried out toward 
the main branch of the Bayou St. John. It may be 



OI.D I^OUISIANA DAYS. 335 

said to have been the great initial step toward the 
drainage of the immense territory, known later as the 
Faubourg Treme. 

From the moment that large sea-going schooners 
were enabled to reach the city by this new conduit, 
business in the thriving little town located on the banks 
of the bayou at once declined, and notwithstanding j 
that grounds had been laid out for building lots 
and that streets had been regularly traced out, yet for 
a long time afterward this settlement or suburb of the 
city dropped into a lethargic sleep. A great many 
dairies in successful operation are now to be seen. Its in- 
dustry there consists in gardening, shingle and picket 
making, and, I believe, in pottery works. As I have 
already said, this was the most ancient establishment, 
outside of the city proper, since as some of its 
oldest buildings date as far back as the period of the 
French occupation, and some of the titles to property, 
if we mistake not, descend from grants of the earliest 
colonial settlers. Hereabouts, no doubt, was the spot 
where the first explorers from Biloxi alighted from 
their frail crafts, partook of their meals and stretched 
their limbs under umbrageous oaks and magnolias 
before undertaking their perilous march across the 
woods and swamps to the banks of the Mississippi. 
Then it was that their eyes feasted on the aspect of the 
mighty river, ''le fleuve St. Louis,'' as they called it, or 
Le Mechacebe, enriched by forests and canebrakes alive 
with game, for, if the statement of one of Bienville's 
companions is to be credited, wild turkeys settled on 
the tops of the trees and were so tame as to be caught 
with their hands. 

Before the period of American occupation, as we all 
know, there were no paved streets or even passable 



330 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

roads. Very often, during the rainy winter months, or 
after a succession of long, wet weather, communication 
by land was no easy matter. The people were almost 
shut out from the outer world. But in the course of 
time a transformation began to manifest itself, and, 
under the administrations of Pitot, Watkins and Girod, 
decided improvements were steadily inaugurated. Stage 
coaches — an unheard-of innovation — had been intro- 
duced from the North, and in the few livery stables 
scattered about the town, in addition to saddle horses, 
some odd conveyance, as an old country caleche, might 
occasionally be secured. Whenever, however, these 
conveniences failed to materialize, the traveler would 
avail himself of an ordinary market ox cart, when 
bound to some country seat. Yet walking was the 
simpler way for short distances, and the one generally 
in vogue. There was but one highway leading above 
the river, and this was the " Tchoupitoulas road." 
Under the colonial reghne, the city being completely 
surrounded by a deep and wide moat, the only route 
to the settlements above the city was through this 
road, the opening of which was guarded by a fort, es- 
tablished on Canal street, near the levee. No one 
from without could enter the city except through 
fortified gates, situated at the apexes of the four angles 
of the parallelogram, upon which the carre de la ville 
was built. Along this road, commencing about Delord 
street, the upper extremity of the Faubourg Ste. 
Marie, and extending toward the magnificent lyivau- 
dais plantation, was a succession of beautifully located 
villas and agricultural establishments. 

All along Tchoupitoulas street there ran a low levee 
planted with willow trees, and during the season of 
high water, when the batture which was then forming 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 337 

was thoroughly immersed, the long Western keelboats 
and barges, as well as the unseemly flatboats, or cha- 
layids, would make fast to these trees, and thence dis- 
charge their cargoes. Sometimes their contents were 
retailed upon the pier. After the receding of the spring 
and summer floods, those flatboats, of enormous con- 
struction, and unfit for a return voyage, would be left 
high and dry upon the batture front, and then be broken 
up for fuel and building purposes. The strong side 
pieces, or gunwales, were used in the suburbs as foot- 
paths or side banquettes in lieu of our present brick- 
paved sidewalks. Upon these wooden trails, as it were, 
pedestrians had to make their way through immense 
vacant spaces, for there were but few buildings toward 
the rural precincts leading to the Livaudais plantation, 
which constituted that portion of New Orleans which 
now forms the Fourth District. 

As already stated, on the way to that wealthy estate 
the river front was lined with a continuous series of 
delightful rural residences, surrounded with orange 
hedges, orchards and well-tended gardens. Although 
no staple crops were raised on these lands, the owners, 
with the assistance of a numerous retinue of African 
slaves, derived a considerable income from theirdairies, 
their orchards, gardens, timber and poultry. Sheep- 
raising was also a source of traffic. All these branches 
of industry and husbandry were exceedingly lucrative, 
by reason of the close proximity of our market, where 
a steadily increasing population afforded a ready sale 
for these necessary commodities. 

The great Macarty crevasse, in the spring of 1816, 
submerged the rear portions of the numerous planta- 
tions existing between Carrolltou and the city proper. 
The I^ivaudais estate was one of the heaviest sufferers 



338 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

from this calamity. I borrow from the rough but valu- 
able note-book of an old-time merchant of this city, 
now dead, his recollections of that event. He says: 

"When we reached the fine sugar estate of the late 
Frangois L,ivaudais we were put in possession of the 
devastation which this inundation had wrought upon 
the greater part of ground under culture of this farm. 
All the lower or backward parts of the sugar lands had 
been completely covered, and the planting of a crop of 
several hundred hogsheads of sugar would not yield 
the tenth part of an ordinary crop. 

" So it resulted; for it so happened that the com- 
mercial house in whose employ I then was became in 
the fall of that year the purchaser of the entire crop ot 
sugar, of very fine quality no doubt, but only giving 
twenty-eight hogsheads. Now this, for the moment, 
was no doubt a great misfortune for the owner, the 
worthy Mr. Francois Livaudais, with whom, in after 
time, we had a much nearer acquaintance, and it was 
one of the causes why the splendid residence of his, 
commenced about that time and never finished, afforded 
even unto these latter days the spectacle of an aban- 
doned castle, so much so that it went afterward by the 
name of the ' Haunted House' (near Washington 
avenue) ; but yet this very circumstance of the whole of 
the back part of the plantation area being covered by 
the Macarty crevasse waters finally turned out a most 
beneficial accident, in raising the same ground several 
feet by the remaining deposit or alluvial sediment of 
the Mississippi water. It was then that the value of 
this plantation became greatly enhanced on account of 
its being high and dry land to its uttermost limits 
toward the woods, and when, some years after, a com- 
pany of speculators acquired by purchase a great part of 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 339 

this estate, the now beautiful Garden District, or the 
Fourth, took its rise from this very circumstance of the 
overflow." 

While speaking of the settlements on the Bayou St. 
John, I had occasion to refer to the residence of the 
once merchant prince and politician, Daniel Clark, 
father of the celebrated Mrs. Myra Gaines. It was situ- 
ated at the fork of two roads ; one leading directly to the 
bayou, and the other to the Gentilly Road on the way 
to the Chef Menteur. Near the site formerly occupied 
by this mansion now stands the Bretonne market, some- 
times called the Indian market, from the fact that it 
was once the bivouac of the vagrant Indians that 
abounded in that vicinity. As far back as 1816, the 
grand old house was in a very good state of preserva- 
tion ; but, being afterward turned over to negligent 
tenants, it fell into complete ruin and gradually disap- 
peared from view, having become the prey of covetous 
neighbors, who removed every vestige of brick or lum- 
ber from the dilapidated concern. 

As it may be of interest to the reader to know how it 
happened that this historical relict of a past era was per- 
mitted to fall into such a state of decay, a few words 
concerning the wealthy proprietor may not prove out of 
place. 

It is a well known fact that Daniel Clark was at one 
time the leading spirit of our city. I refer to the period 
immediately antedating the cession of 1803. Having 
by his commercial connection with the large house of 
Coxe & Co., in Philadelphia, established an extensive 
credit under the Spanish government, of which he was 
a sort of under secretary, and become a special favorite 
with the authorities, his relations with Havana, Vera 
Cruz and other Hispano- American seaports enabled him 



340 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

to introduce into the territory not only the romnioJities 
of those countries, but a large number also of African 
labor hands, known as bozales. These proved a valuable 
acquisition to the planters of Louisiana. But as soon as 
the country was purchased by the United States, this 
branch of traffic was suppressed by the government. 
The check put upon this enormous source of wealth to 
the old colonists was an unexpected blow to Daniel 
Clark, inasmuch as there was every reason to presume 
that the same privilege which had been conceded to 
South Carolina, Georgia and other States would have 
been extended, until 1808, to Louisiana. Had this dou- 
ceur been allowed — had not Congress, in order to recon- 
cile the extreme Northern States to the acquisition of 
the new domain, lent a willing ear to their demand for 
the prohibition of negro importations into it, Clark 
would have had a chance of continuing his occupation 
as a slave trader for a further period of five years. The 
halt produced by this determined resolve of Congress 
became the cause of serious injury and annoyance to the 
planting interest, and hence a bitter opposition sprung 
up against the policy of the Washington cabinet among 
many Louisianians. 

Daniel Clark had been elected a delegate to Congress, 
and from 1803 until 181 2 he became the head and front 
of the opposition in Louisiana, and as such had more 
than one serious altercation with the State authorities. 

Having been originally a warm partisan of Jefferson 
in his diplomatic efforts to secure by purchase the im- 
mense tract of land embraced under the general name of 
Louisiana, and having been also, in his capacit)' of 
American Consul at New Orleans, an active co-laborer 
in backing up the efforts of the administration in that 
direction, he no doubt felt himself slighted and 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 34 1 

neglected when he perceived that his influence was 
underrated, and that his advice and suggestions were not 
heeded. Hence arose those acrid feelings which sprung 
up between him and the Governor, and finally culmi- 
nated into a hostile meeting on the field of honor. 

When the war broke out in i8r2 the business of the 
house of Coxe, Clark & Co. had been transferred to a 
new firm. It was composed of Richard Relf, late 
cashier of the Louisiana State Bank; Beverly Chew, 
ex-Collector of Customs, as active partners, and Daniel 
Clark as the partner in comniendani. This association 
having made large advances to planters, now became a 
heavy dead weight owing to the blockade of the mouth of 
the Mississippi by English cruisers, and was compelled 
to suspend its payments, as was the case with the ma- 
jority of the commercial houses of New Orleans, as 
well as all of the existing banks. Under these circum- 
stances Daniel Clark, who had the greater part of the 
time been absent and attending to his duties in Con- 
gress, found his private affairs involved by the pecu- 
niary difficulties of his commercial house. Although 
his means were ample and his fortune, which consisted 
in slaves, plantations, improved real estate and vacant 
lands, was quite considerable, yet such was the strin- 
gency of our markets that he was unable to procure at 
times even the necessary means to meet indispensable 
obligations. This humiliating situation chafed his 
spirit. Notwithstanding a very robust and active tem- 
perament, age had made inroads upon his former vigor 
and stalwart frame. Hence, when, after the erection 
of Louisiana into a State, his functions as a Delegate 
had ceased, he resolved to return home and put his 
private and commercial affairs in a proper train of 
liquidation. Sickness and death overtook him in the 



342 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

midst of his affliction. When this event took place, at 
his residence on the Bayou St. John road, many of his 
old friends, such as Dussuau de la Croix, who had 
succeeded in the contract for enlarging Canal Caron- 
delet ; Messrs. Chew and Relf, close neighbors ; old 
Mr. Baron Boisfonlaine, Colonel Bellechasse and others 
attended his bedside. A will was found in which 
Messrs. Chew and Relf were named executors, and the 
mother of the deceased was instituted sole heiress. After 
the lapse of several years another testament was dis- 
covered, in which the above named Dussuau dela Croix, 
Baron Boisfontaine and Colonel Bellechasse were 
declared executors, and his daughter, Myra, then living 
with her grandmother in Philadelphia, was recognized 
as his sole heiress and possessor of his estate. I shall 
not enter into a history of the trouble which these two 
wills occasioned, nor wallow into the scandals which 
entertained the wondering public during the whole pe- 
riod of the prolonged litigation that ensued. It is only 
necessary to say here that during its pendenc}- all of 
his property was neglected. The reader can well im- 
agine how it was that such a fine building, with its 
beautifully laid gardens, orchards, flower partej-res, 
kiosks, statues and fountains was permitted to crumble 
to pieces. In the course of time it was rumored that 
the house was haunted, and that ghosts had been seen 
stalking in the dead of night along its corridors, and 
no respectable tenant could be found willing to occupy 
the premises. Such is the story of a building of which 
no traces now remain! 

Perhaps some of my readers may have noticed an an- 
tiquated building some fifty years ago, standing inside of 
the yard midway from the corner of Ba5^ou Road and 



OLD LOUISIANA DAYS. 343 

Claiborne avenue. This was the residence of the great 
Scotch philanthropist and millionaire, Alexander Milne, 
after whom was named the once thriving little village on 
Lake Pontchartrain. It was a singular looking build- 
ing, frequently mistaken for the abode of some colonial 
Spanish governor. It was flanked on either side by what 
seemed to be battlements made of solid granite and of 
unhewn stones cemented with rock mortar. The enclos- 
ures, as well as the heavy massive doorways were com- 
posed of the same durable materials. The gardens were 
ornamented by a great number of fine fruit trees, shrub- 
bery and arbors, which it had required years to bring to 
absolute perfection. Converted in later years into an 
asylum or hospital by a French charitable society, all 
traces of the peculiar architectural traits of this relic of 
generations long gone by have been removed by inno- 
vating hands, and naught now remains of its original 
structure and appearance, save its massive walls. The 
work of renovation has been complete. Alexander 
Milne was a most remarkable man. He arrived here 
in Louisiana some time during the period of Galvez' 
administration, about 1776. Having outlived the old- 
est inhabitant, although not his usefulness, he left be- 
hind him few data upon which to construct an accurate 
biography. What his profession in the old country 
may have been was a riddle, but here in New Orleans, 
in addition to the hardware business in which he was 
engaged, he had devoted himself to the manufacture of 
country bricks, and with the assistance of his negro 
hands had amassed a colossal fortune. Whether in 
this enterprise he was assisted by the Spanish authori- 
ties, or not, is a matter of conjecture ; but he must cer- 
tainly have been upon an intimate footing with them to 
have obtained the valuable and vast tracts which he left 



344 NEW ORLEANS AS IT WAS. 

at the time of his death. These lay around the Gen- 
tilly farms, without including those that fronted the 
lake, from the present terminus of the railway up to 
the mouth of Bayou St. John, and even beyond, as old 
maps of the city indicate. 

This singular old man lived by himself in that old 
castellated home, without a single white person in his 
employ, in the midst of his slaves. He was eighty 
years of age at the time of his death. Contempo- 
raries describe him as small in stature, with head hang- 
ing down, eyes always bent on the ground, oblivious of 
street surroundings and dressed in the seedy vestments 
of a beggar, for whom he was often mistaken by stran- 
gers. He left at his death, besides a large number of 
slaves, nearly a hundred thousand dollars in ready 
cash, and property in every faubourg in the city. The 
village of Milneburg, on the lake shore, was constructed 
on a part of his domain. He bequeathed in his will 
the bulk of his fortune to his native town in Scotland. 
His slaves were manumitted, and to prevent their prov- 
ing a burden upon themselves or the parish, he made 
ample provision for their future maintenance. He set 
apart, also, a portion of his fortune toward the erection 
and support of a school and asylum for boys and girls, 
but his benevolent intentions were never carried into 
effect, as the revenues were squandered by faithless and 
rapacious stewards and intermediaries. 



OI^D I^OUISIANA DAYS. 345 



L' ENVOI, 

And now my work is done. It remains for the pub- 
lic to say whether I shall ever be induced to again make 
my bow before it. The theme I have selected is a pro- 
lific one, and the materials for its proper treatment, 
though not easy of access, are still available. To use 
the words of our own Washington Irving, I must can- 
didly acknowledge that should my writings, with all 
their imperfections, be received with favor, it will prove 
a source of the purest gratification, for though I do not 
aspire to those high honors which are the rewards of 
loftier intellects, yet it is the dearest wish of my heart 
to have a cozy, though humble, corner in the good 
opinions and kind feelings of my countrymen. Va/e. 



NDEX 



Page. 

Antommarchi, Dr. F 74 

Abril and Bayona 115 

Abbe Louis 175 

Agnew, Thomas..., 206 

Allard, L 212 

Augustin, Gen. D 249 

Bossier, Gen. Placide i 

Bouligny, Gustave 7 

Baton Rouge Gazette 13 

Burr, Aaron 21 

Barracks, American 25 

Barracks, French 319 

Baratarians, The 40 

Bajon, Jerome 53 

Blanque, Jean 60 

Bertin and Capdeville 121 

Bermudez, Judge Edward 121 

Banks 150 

Bayou Sauvage 151, 327 

Ball Rooms 160 

Beugnot, Dr 172 

Boudousquie, Charles 194 

" Bras Coupe," True Ac- 
count of 210 

Booth, the Elder 226 

Bellechasse, J. Desgoutin — 

246, 287 

Buisson, Gen. Be' j 249 

Bermudez, Judge Joachim ..261 

Beauregard, J. Toutant 263 

Buchanan, Judge A. M 265 

Butler, Gen W. 265 

" Batture" Case, the 274 

Bignej, M. F 2S0 

Buildings 311 

Bajou Metairie 327 

Bayou St. John 327, 332, 333 

Claiborne, Gov. W. C. C— 

21, 44. 24S 



Page. 

Coulon, George 26 

Canonge, Judge J. F....53, 57, 169 
Cambre, Antoine, his death. no 
Caliste's wonderful escape....: 17 

Crimes 13^ 

Cathedral, the Old 143 

Cafe del Aguila 144 

Churches 149 

Custom House 150 

Canal street 150 

Canal Carondelet 151 

Canal Marigny 151, 154,332 

Clark, Daniel 151, 287,339 

Congo square 157, 159 

Congo dances 15S, 297 

Creoles, the 162, 178, 252 

Caldwell, J P 202, 225, 251 

Cabarets 217 

Claiborne, W. C. C, Jr 217 

Celestin, a slave, fidelity of. .245 

Cuvellier, Gen 249 

Canal, the new 254, 3126 

Cameron, Hon. Simon 257 

Grossman, Mayor A. D 2!;9 

Clay monument, the 277 

Cat6 des Rt^fugies 302 

Chew, Beverly 307 

Cadet Moulon's bakery 310 

Caro delet. Baron de 316 

Crevasse of 1816 32^ 

Chef Menteur 328 

City under Bienville 330 

Clark's house 339 

Dawson, Gon i 

Dufrocq, J. R n 

Derbigny, Pierre 20, 24 

Davezac, Auguste 45, 309 

Doctor "John," the vou- 

dou 96 

Doctor "Alexander " 99 



34"^ INDEX. 



Page. 
Delille and Adam (their 

crime) 105 

Dufour, Cyprien 115 

Deschamps' Dr., conviction 127 

Delerj, Dr. Charles 135, 222 

Ducatel, Amedee 194 

DeBuys, Gen. Wm 210, 249 

Dutillet, Captain 223 

Desforges, the artist 225 

Douce, Auguste 230 

Dorciere, Colonel 245 

Duverne, J 246 

D'Aunoy, Major 250 

Ducros, Capt. Ed 250 

Dreux, Charles D 2S0 

D'Aunoy, Col. Fabre 287 

De Clouet, Chevalier 287 

Desfarges, the pirate, hanged 308 
Drainage of city 330 

Elam, Judge i 

Ellsler, Fanny 227 

Fire engines 23 

Formento, Dr 77 

Fire department 13S 

French market 146 

Forstall, C. E 194 

Freret, Wm 202 

Faubourgs, the — 

147. 154, iS5> 156, 251 

Fleitas, Mr 211 

French "Craze," the 229 

Fortifications, City 316, 31S, 319 
Fort St. Charles 316 

Grymes, Col. John R..4, 45, 308 

Guillotte, Arthur 7 

Ganucheau, Edmond 7 

Genois, Joseph 7, 9, 16S 

Gamblers and gambling.. 16, 141 

Girod, Nicholas 19, 14S 

Guenard, Ilortaire 26 

Gibson, John 134 

Grima, F 194 

Gorham, Capt. Wm 194. 

Gauche, Taylor 208 

Garcia, Francisco alias Rey..2i3 
Gaily, Major H 249 



Page. 

Giquel-Brooks affair 260 

Gravier, Jean 271, 322 

Gravier, Bertrand 275 

Galveston, Lafitte in 308, 31a 

Gamble, alias Nez Coupe.. ..308 

Governor's residence 312 

Government building 20, 312 

Hueston's duel i 

Hagan, Richard 9 

Humbert, Gen 28, 304 

Holland, John 56 

Harper, William 136 

Houses, how built ^52 

Hozey, Capt 185, 264 

Howard, Frank 206 

Hotel de la Marine 302 

Hotel, "Tremoulet" 312 

Incendiaries 17, 138 

Iberville parish 173 

Indians, the 221, 328, 329 

Insurrections of slaves 245 

Inquisition in Louisiana, the 283 
Indigo culture, the 321 

Jackson, Gen. Andrew — 

21, 45j 141. 148 

King, W. H. C 207 

Labranche, Alcee i 

Lewis, Gen. John L..9, 194, 249 

Levee, Construction of 19 

Lighting of city 19 

Livingston, Edward — 

70, 45, 166, 275 

Louallier, Senator 49 

Lalaurte, Madame 53 

Louis Philippe, King 67, 286. 

Lakanal, Joseph 60 

La Fayette, Gen , 72 

Lafitte, the pirate — 

88, 151, 304, 309 
Laveau, Marie, the voudou 

queen i, 97, 113 

Leonard, f. m. c, Suicide of — 

114 

Le Monier, Dr. Yves 147 

Labertonniere, Miss Made- 

laine 175 



INDEX. 



349 



Paf?e. 

Lime Kiln Bayou 1S5 

Luscy, Paul and Elmire 1S7 

Lafon, G., the engineer 194 

Lafayette Square 202 

" Legion," the 248 

Levert, Mme. Octavie Wal- 
ton 280 

Labor troubles 289 

Labor question, the 307 

Laporte, Lafitte's agent 312 

Le veau qui tete 312 

Lepers' land 333 

Livaudais' plantation 337 

Moore, Judge John i 

McArdle, Col. W. S 9, 292 

Montgomery, Alderman 19 

Marigny, Bernard de — 

39, 252, 2S8 

Mazureau, Etienne 54 

Moreau, Gen. Victor 63, 71 

Marigny, Mandeville..67, 79, 2SS 

Maurian, Judge 77 

Mariquita 80 

Mazerat, Capt. Eugene — 

99, 106, 259 

Massacre of Italians 132 

Maspero's Exchange 148 

"Marchandes," The 193 

Montegut, Edgar 168, 194 

Maxent, Col 242 

McCaleb, Judge Theodore. ...279 

Miro, Gov. Estevan 2S6, 315 

Marigny, Philip de 287 

McDonogh, John 296 

Marin ■, Hotel de la 303 

Michoud's Plantation 326 

Milne's House 342 

Milne, Alexander 243 

New Orleans under Bienville 

(17-20 320 

New Orleans destroyed by 

fire fi788) ' 23S 

New Orleans on fire (1794). .310 

New Orleans (in 1828) 142 

Napoleon's intended resi- 
dence 1 48 

Nunneries 149 

Nogues, Pierre 230 



rage. 
Nunez, Don Vicente Jose 238 

Old Man of the Cathedral 83 

Orphan Asylums 151 

Orleans College 217 

Paving, first city 19 

Pontalba, Baron de 21 

Porter, Judge Alexander. .34, 277 

Petit Gouave 39 

Preval, Judge Gallien 57, 261 

Prieur, Denis — 

78, 104, 135, 214, 216 

Parish Prison 103 

Pauline, a slave, hanging of — 

104, 167 

Peychaud, A 131; 

Police, the 13S, 163, 218, 258 

Pere Antoine 144, 165, 2S2 

Pontalba buildings 144, 311 

Prison, old Spanish 147. 

Plantation life 177 

Pirates iSS, 201 

Pitot, Armand 194 

Peters, Sam. J 202, 251 

Powers, Hiram 207 

Prentiss, S. S - 268 

Poydras, Julien 287 

Pendergast, J. C 291 

Posts, trading 313 

Pitot, James 317 

Rogers. George K i 

Rofiignac, L. P 14, 231 

River front 145 

Reybaud, Commodore 194 

Runaway slaves 213, 216 

Rouquette, Abbe Adrien 222 

Rouquette, Dominique 279 

" Raquettes," the game of.... 298 
River boats 314, 337 

Slidell, John i 

Stone, Dr. Warren 11 

St. Mary's Banner i2 

State house 25 

School, Central 22 

Santi Petri 24 

Seuzeneau, Pierre 40 



350 



INDKX. 



St. Geme, Major 45, 72 

Spanish dungeons 103 

Streets, the 152, 155, 33s 

Smith, Gen. Persifor F 185 

Sham battles 249 

Slave trade, the 296 

St. Domingo retugees 300 

Sauvinet 307 

Swamp, the dismal 323 

Shell road, the new 325 

Trees, first planting of 19 

Thiot, le Pere 39 

Turpin's cabaret 40, 303 

Touzac, Chevalier de 49 

Theatres, the 150,224, 302 

Thacker, Captain 186 

Taylor, Gen. Z 265 

Twiggs, Colonel 292 

** Tremoulet House," the 312 



Page. 

Ursulines convent, old 24 

Ursulines chapel, old 24 

Voudous, the loi 

Vigni(5, Captain 250 

Vernon, Dr 291 

Villas, country 318 

White, Gov. E. D > i 

Wilkinson, Gen. James 21 

Wickliffe, Gov. Robr. C 112 

Wagner, Peter K 134 

Weed, Charles A 206 

Watkins, Mayor John 244 

Winters, Capt. J. L 259 

You, Capt. Dominick — 

87, 148* 307 
Youennes, Capt. John 259 

Zacharie, the bank cashier.... 151 



